The Obama administration has approved $23.2 million in grants to government agencies and medical providers in 16 states. These grants are to be used for projects aimed at improving patient safety, which should ultimately reduce medical malpractice lawsuits.
There were 20 grants issued in total. Seven of them will fund three-year demonstration projects testing innovations including:
· Standardizing obstetrics procedures
· Offering patients immediate compensation in cases of medical malpractice instead of requiring them to initiate a costly lawsuit
The other 13 grants will fund one-year “planning” initiatives which limit the liability of doctors who can prove they followed state-endorsed standards of care.
The government hopes that these initiatives will curb the spiraling costs of medical malpractice lawsuits across the country, while at the same time boosting the quality of care received by patients. There is growing concern that fear of medical malpractice lawsuits has adversely impacted the way doctors and hospitals care for patients by:
· Discouraging hospitals from sharing information about mistakes which could prevent similar errors in the future
· Compelling doctors to practice “defensive” medicine, ordering a battery of tests for patients, regardless of the cost or need, in order to protect themselves from negligence claims down the road
Ultimately, government officials are hoping that these grants will help them determine whether these initiatives do in fact improve the quality of care and reduce preventable medical errors.
If you have a medical malpractice claim in the New York City area, please contact the attorneys at Trief & Olk today to schedule your initial consultation.
