Welcome
Ronald S. Gibbs MD
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education
Welcome
Richard D. Krugman MD
Dean, University of Colorado Denver School
of Medicine
Vice Chancellor Medical Affairs
Welcome
Brock R. Wood, Esq.
Program Attorney
Colorado Bar Association CLE
Purpose
Ronald S. Gibbs MD
Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education
Why this course? Why now ?
• There are 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits
filed each year, with estimated range of $11-29
Billion per year in costs
• Exposure to medical malpractice has been
estimated to account for 5-9% of hospital
expenditures.
R. Thaler and C. Sunstein. Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and
Happiness.
• Medical liability premiums for Ob-Gyns are high
and premiums for Ob Gyns represent the largest
percent of income going to malpractice insurance
of any specialty.
• There are errors in medical care, with an
estimated 100,000 attributable deaths per year in
the US*
• Patient safety is the number one priority in
healthcare.
* Kohn, Corrigan, Donaldson, editors, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System,
2000. Institute of Medicine Report.
Purpose
To provide multidisciplinary education in the
medical and legal aspects of obstetrics practice –
presented in a collegial environment.
And, why not a collegial environment?
We have certain similarities
• MDs and Attorneys are well educated with
relatively high social and economic status.
• Each profession has special knowledge,
language and experience, not held by the
“client” or “Patient” or by the public in general.
Doctors, Lawyers evaluate each other in new study. Physician Executive 2002 Mar-Apr;
28(2):20-5.
• Both professions are licensed, keep
information confidential and have sworn
duties to put clients’/patients’ needs first.
• Both have rapidly expanding knowledge
base.
Doctors, Lawyers evaluate each other in new study. Physician Executive 2002 Mar-Apr;
28(2):20-5.
But – there are differences
In practice style – collegial vs.
adversarial
In methods – scientific vs. Socratic
approach
Each profession needs to know
more about the other, from a
professional viewpoint.
May never be just ducky – but
communication is a start!
THANK YOU
• Course Faculty
• Coordinators in the Office of Continuing Medical
Education CU School of Medicine and Continuing
Legal Education in Colorado, Inc, Colorado Bar
Association.
• Course Attendees
References
•
•
•
Richard H. Thaler, Distinguished Service Professor
of Behavioral Science & Economics, University of
Chicago School of Business; Cass R. Sunstein, Felix
Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard Law School.
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth,
and Happiness. Penguin Books. 2008.
Linda t. Kohn, Janet M. Corrigan, Molla S.
Donaldson, Editors – Committee on Quality Health
Care in America, To Err is Human: Building a Safer
Health System, 2000 Institute of Medicine, National
Academy Press,
Fitzgerald PE Jr. Division of Health Administration,
University of Memphis. Doctors, Lawyers Evaluate
Each other in New Study, 2000. Physician Executive
2002 Mar-Apr;28(2):20-5.