Protecting Yourself Against Medical Malpractice

Although there are no guarantees in healthcare, there are certain steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of medical malpractice, negligence, and error.  As already mentioned in previous sections, you should absolutely make certain that your domestic physician/dentist, lawyer, family members, medical tourism physician/dentist, and insurance provider all discuss any potential liability and malpractice issues.  Below are some important questions that you should raise, but this list is by no means comprehensive.  In talking with the above mentioned parties, you can generate a much more complete and accurate list of issues worth covering:

• Who will be performing the medical treatment when you’re abroad?

• What qualifications, certifications, and experience do they have?

• What is the hospital’s or dental office’s success rate for this particular procedure?

• What accreditation does the medical facility have?

• What are the exact terms and limits of the medical facility’s malpractice insurance?

• What internationally recognized standards does the medical facility meet?

• What inspection reports are available for your review?

• What type of administrative and nursing support is available to you, before, during, and after the treatment?

• What liability will the medical facility assume in the event of errors, accidents, negligence, or malpractice?

• What happens if the treatment is unsuccessful or incomplete?

• How many malpractice suits has the medical facility had in the past?

• How many formal complaints have been lodged against the person(s) who will be performing the treatment?

• What was the nature of these complaints?

• How were these complaints resolved?

• How many malpractice lawsuits does the medical facility have pending?

• What percentage of malpractice suits has the medical facility lost?

• What is the average malpractice payout at this medical facility?

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