The Massachusetts Medical Society and six healthcare organizations announced the start of a major initiative to improve the medical liability system in the state of Massachusetts.
The new alliance has launched its effort with the release of a Roadmap to Reform, an alternative approach to medical liability intended to improve patient safety, increase transparency, reduce litigation and cut costs to the healthcare system.
The Roadmap to Reform proposes a process of "Disclosure, Apology and Offer." Under the DA&O model, healthcare professionals and institutions and their insurers disclose to patient and families when unanticipated adverse outcomes occur; investigate and explain what happened; establish systems to improve patient safety and prevent the recurrence of such incidents; and, where appropriate, apologize and offer fair financial compensation without the patient resorting to legal action. Such a system will not deny patients the right to bring legal action but would make tort claims a last resort.
The DA&O approach will be tested this year in seven Massachusetts hospitals, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Baystate Medical Center.
The new alliance has launched its effort with the release of a Roadmap to Reform, an alternative approach to medical liability intended to improve patient safety, increase transparency, reduce litigation and cut costs to the healthcare system.
The Roadmap to Reform proposes a process of "Disclosure, Apology and Offer." Under the DA&O model, healthcare professionals and institutions and their insurers disclose to patient and families when unanticipated adverse outcomes occur; investigate and explain what happened; establish systems to improve patient safety and prevent the recurrence of such incidents; and, where appropriate, apologize and offer fair financial compensation without the patient resorting to legal action. Such a system will not deny patients the right to bring legal action but would make tort claims a last resort.
The DA&O approach will be tested this year in seven Massachusetts hospitals, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Baystate Medical Center.
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