MEDICAL LITIGATIONS; the next unforeseen crisis

Dr AHMED ZAKI- MD,MRCOGHead of OB/GYN Department

Chairman of scientific committeeMember of JCI accreditation committee

Dr Bakhsh Hospital, Jeddah

Health Facilities

Main Health Providers

HEALTH SYSTEM IN SAUDI ARABIA

Sources of Medical Litigations

1

2

34

Medical Staff

Patients & Relatives

Media

Why do Patients Sue their Why do Patients Sue their Doctors?Doctors?

• Injury or death• Anger• Child with bad future• Poor communication• High charges• Intimidation (relatives, media, lawyers)• revenge• Seeking compensation

MONEY

angerNo respect

Subs

tand

ard

care

no inform

ed consent

Undefendable case

NO COMMUNICATION

UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDES

LACK OF ADHERENCE TO GUIDELINES

NEGLIGANCE

POOR RECORDS

MEDICAL STAFF

Forgetfulness and medical malpractice

The operation was successful. We found a scissors inside your tummy. But we do not know whether we forgot it or you swallowed it

I have bad news & good news for you. The bad news is a lost my watch inside your tummy while I was doing your operation & good news is I have another one exactly the same

Media

Who Gets Sued Most

• Anesthesiologists

• Obstetricians

• Emergency Medical Docs

• Surgeons

• We have to admit that there is a difference between medical errors and recognized complication

• How long does it take to decide?

Why litigations crisis

• Increasing number

• Delay in decision

• Pressure on staff

• Financial burden

• descrimination

• Hospitals are full of staff sued

Litigations as a Barrier to Litigations as a Barrier to patients’ carepatients’ care

• Physicians overestimate the risk of Physicians overestimate the risk of being suedbeing sued

• Less likely to report errors as a resultLess likely to report errors as a result

• Routinely practice defensive medicineRoutinely practice defensive medicine

• Exhaustion of financeExhaustion of finance

Bad News

Be careful, your patient can be a potential enemy

*Image via Bing

*Image via Bing

Perspective

• Medical sectors do not have the same standards but treated with the same law

• No rapid decision to diff. between errors & complications.

• Discrimination

• Overwhelming fear of litigations that compromises patients care

• There is an over exaggeration of compensation in some cases

• The media is putting high pressure on medical staff as well as patients

Be careful, patients care is at risk

In an atmosphere of litigations:

Unless we………

Medical litigations will be the soon-coming future crisis and this will compromise patients’ care