An Innovative Approach for Familiarizing Surgeons with Malpractice Litigation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Medicolegal Preparedness

Background:

• Surgery residents require robust medicolegal knowledge to navigate potential lawsuits.
• Malpractice concerns are prevalent among surgeons, regardless of prior litigation experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To familiarize surgery residents with medicolegal knowledge and skills through a simulated lawsuit.
• To assess the impact of a novel educational intervention on residents' preparedness for litigation.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative educational intervention involving general surgery residency programs, hospital risk management, and malpractice attorneys.
• The intervention included an introductory lecture and a mock lawsuit simulation with legal professionals and an attending surgeon.
• Competency, experience, and attitudes were evaluated using retrospective pre- and post-intervention self-assessments.

Main Results:

• The mock lawsuit simulation significantly improved all measured competencies among participants.
• Residents showed greater improvement than attending faculty in understanding medical claims, deposition confidence, and lawsuit do's and don'ts.
• Post-intervention assessments indicated enhanced understanding and confidence in managing medicolegal situations.

Conclusions:

• A novel educational format utilizing mock lawsuits effectively familiarizes surgical faculty and residents with litigation processes.
• This simulation improves confidence and mental preparedness for facing potential lawsuits.
• The intervention is a valuable tool for residency training and faculty development curricula.