Risk management in obstetrics and gynaecology

Article type: Research Article

Authors: James, Catherine E.^;

Affiliations: Medical Secretariat, Medical Defence Union, London, U.K.

Note: [] Correspondence to: Dr Catherine E. James MB ChB FRCOG, Medical Secretariat, Medical Defence Union, 3 Devonshire Place, London W1, U.K.

Abstract: When medical negligence claims in the fields of obstetrics and gynaecology are retrospectively analyzed, a distinction must be drawn between the categories of claims most likely to be submitted and those categories most likely to succeed. Although some types of injury may be difficult to avoid, too many successful claims are found to relate to medical acts and omissions which with due care could have been avoided. A programme of risk management should concentrate on improved communication with patients (including the correct transmission and assimilation of data), better counselling (including the advice and information underlying informed consent), measures to ensure clinical competence (including caution in delegation to juniors and wider use of referral to senior staff) and the enforcement of well-devised rules for the maintenance of patient records.

Keywords: Risk management, Communication, Patient consent, Clinical competence, Case records

DOI: 10.3233/JRS-1991-22-309

Journal: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 2, no. 2-3, pp. 133-140, 1991