Medical Malpractice: Reform for Today's Patients and Clinicians

The current system of medical malpractice does a poor job of serving the best interests of physicians or patients. Economic and societal forces are shifting the nature of health care from the individual physician to a system of health care professionals, characterized by accountable care organizations. In particular, more physicians are employed, quality and outcomes are routinely measured, and reimbursement is moving to value-based purchasing. Medical malpractice likewise needs to transition to a new model that is consistent with the modern era of patient-centered care. Collective accountability, the concept that patient care is the responsibility of all the members of the health care organization, requires malpractice reform that reflects a systems-based practice of medicine. Enterprise liability, coupled with medical error communication and resolution programs, provides the legal framework necessary for the patient-centered practice of medicine in today's environment.