Solutions to Medical Malpractice Problems: Patient Safety and the No-fault Compensation System

Abstract

Patient safety is an important issue for medical personnel. Nursing home must be aware of and responsible for all procedures of delivering services to medical service users. Hospital Accreditation Institute indicates that Patient Safety Goal emphasizes on Safety Surgery, Infection Control, Medication Safety, Patient Care Process, Line, Tube & Catheter, and Emergency Response. It is possible that undesired events may occur while providing medical services, together with the high expectation of patients for medical services, these will lead to patients’ not satisfy to the medical service and conflict with medical services’ providers. When the feeling of injustice occurred on the patients’ part, this will lead to medical litigation, both civil and criminal cases, due to the effect of violation and breach of contract.  Before a lawsuit is filed, there is a mechanism for damage compensation to the patients or the family, from the medical treatment process.  Countries with such systems are Sweden, Denmark, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, as well as Thailand. The mechanism for medical damage compensation provides basic relief to mitigate the damage without proving who is at fault.  The method for compensation considerations has various details.  This article will help to understand the concept of patient safety and the treatment of those who have been damaged by the medical process.