Description: 

This presentation series provides a retrospective analysis of closed claims and litigation within primary care, women’s health, and surgical procedures. The primary objectives are identifying patterns, contributing factors, and opportunities for improvement in clinical practice. By reviewing closed claims/litigation cases through a quality improvement lens, we aim to move beyond individual outcomes to uncover recurring themes such as communication gaps, documentation deficiencies, delays in diagnosis or treatment, and system-level vulnerabilities.

Target Audience: 

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Physicians (MD or DO)

Physician Assistant (PA)

Session Objectives:

- Identify common communication failures that contribute to OB/GYN malpractice claims and their impact on patient safety and clinical outcomes.

- Describe evidence-based communication strategies for discussing the risks, benefits, and alternatives of OB/GYN procedures, communicating abnormal results, and responding to patient concerns.

- Apply best practices for communication during patient handoffs, labor and delivery escalation, and interdisciplinary care to improve team coordination and reduce the risk of adverse events.

Assembly Bills 1195 & 241- Culturally Appropriate Care which is Free of Implicit Biases:

Learners are strongly encouraged to engage in self-directed learning related to the impact of implicit biases in this clinical area via the references provided below:

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)/Cultural or Linguistic Considerations:

• Petrovic, M., Nicholls, J., & Siassakos, D. (2022, April). Proceed with reasonable care: When legal principles inform training to prevent harm during the childbirth - UCL Discovery. Ucl.Ac.Uk. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10143083/

Implicit Bias Considerations (as it relates to the content):                                                                                    

• Greenberg, M. B., Gandhi, M., Davidson, C., & Carter, E. B. (2022). Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Consult Series #62: Best practices in equitable care delivery: Addressing systemic racism and other social determinants of health as causes of obstetric disparities. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 227(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2022.04.001

Disclosure of Financial or In-Kind Commercial Support & Conflict of Interest

No one involved in the planning or presentation of this educational activity have any relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. No financial or in-kind commercial support was received to produce or promote this educational activity.   

– Provider Designee/Verification: Fozia Ferozali, Ed.D