Medical Malpractice

Welcome to CIR’s Medical Malpractice Web Page!

Medical malpractice is a contentious subject, fraught with anxiety and confusion for many physicians, including residents. There is a great deal written about what’s wrong with our current system, but much of it is contradictory and sometimes seems to pit physicians and patients against each other.  Too often, residents are left out of the discussion altogether.

At CIR’s national convention in May 2010, we surveyed resident leaders about medical malpractice—what they knew, didn’t know, and wanted to learn. In short, respondents told us they definitely wanted to know more about medical malpractice, and a majority also indicated that CIR was a source they would turn to for that information. So here we are—with the CIR Medical Malpractice Initiative and a web page devoted to all things Med Mal. Our goals are three-fold:

• Provide information on the medical malpractice system—and in particular how it affects residents
• Introduce residents to the many innovative approaches to medical malpractice reform that work for both patients and physicians
• Emphasize the role residents can play to reduce preventable medical errors and improve overall safety and quality for our patients

This website features a primer to get you started on the basics of medical malpractice; a video overview on disclosure and mediation; a comprehensive annotated bibliography of articles and studies on the subject of medical malpractice, resident liability and system reform that residents can use for self-study; and the results of our Medical Malpractice survey.
Check back soon for the Frequently Asked Questions section specifically intended to address resident questions and concerns and updates on the CIR Medical Malpractice Initiative projects.