Disclosure & new patients

Over the years, we have seen many attempts by hospitals, practices, and insurers to reduce litigation by suggesting or even requiring that new patients and families sign arbitration or mediation agreements.   Some of these “agreements” even go so far as to make patients and families “promise” not to file a frivolous lawsuit or write something nasty about the doctor on social media!

To be frank, I think most of these written agreements are odd and clumsy at best, and, at worst, can really get the doctor-patient relationship off on the wrong foot.   Think about it….such documents can make people very leery of a physician as they feel literally forced to sign away fundamental rights to receive care.   That’s wrong. 

What if, instead, we developed a different document that was more welcoming while educating patients and families about disclosure?   What if we asked our patients and families to enter in a relationship with our doctor, and a critical piece of this relationship includes the patient/family returning to the doctor when something goes wrong?

We can do this….and sample language is here in this downloadable PDF to help you, your practice, or hospital accomplish this goal.