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9124: Arming Yourself for a Medical Malpractice Battle, Part 1
NO FEE
DISCLAIMER
This course was offered as a live seminar in 2024 and 2025. Policyholders who attended the live version are not eligible to complete this online course for premium credit, and premium credit will not be given for completing the same course twice. If you are unsure whether you have already completed the live version of this course, click here to submit an inquiry.
Course Description
A medical malpractice lawsuit and attendant navigation of the legal system can be the most stressful event in a provider's career and can lead to emotional trauma, burnout, distrust of patients, over-ordering of tests, and other consequences that present a risk to patient safety and the wellbeing of the provider. Many of these consequences are due to a lack of understanding of the process and a feeling of loss of control. A better understanding of the legal process and elements of a malpractice case will help to reduce those consequences and feelings as well as educate providers on proactive measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of medical error. This presentation (Part 1) will examine in detail an actual malpractice lawsuit from the pre-suit events through the deposition phase and will include reenactment of actual deposition testimony dissecting the positives and negatives of the provider’s testimony. Topics such as effective communication and improved documentation will be discussed not only from a patient safety standpoint, but also as they relate to the defense of a malpractice claim.
Learning Objectives
- Summarize the elements of a medical malpractice lawsuit
- Explain how the standard of care affects the defensibility of a malpractice claim/lawsuit as well as patient outcomes
- Evaluate the duty of a specialist, the role of authoritative texts, and the importance of accurate documentation
Course Format
This course is an online video option. It consists of a two-hour video presentation, followed by a test.
Credit Awarded
- 10% Premium Credit for Physician Policyholders
- 2.0 CME Credits for Physicians
- Certificate of Participation for Non-Physicians
Course Development
This course was developed by SVMIC’s Risk Education and Evaluation Department: Shelly Weatherly, JD, VP; Julie Loomis, RN, JD, AVP, Risk Education; Jeff Woods, JD, Risk and Practice Management Senior Attorney; and Trish Campbell, BSN, LNCC, Director of Risk Education.
Speaker
Wendy L. Longmire, JD
CME Information
Accreditation: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine (UTCOM) and State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company. The UTCOM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
AMA Credit Designation: The UTCOM designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
AOA: This program is eligible for two (2) credit hours in Category 2 of the Continuing Medical Education Program of the American Osteopathic Association. Physicians will need to submit a letter of completion from the University of Tennessee directly to the AOA to receive CME credits, or AOA members may self-report the activity.
Continuing Education for Non-Physicians: The UTCOM will issue Certificates of Participation to non-physicians for participating in this activity and designates it for CEUs using the national standard that 1 hour of educational instruction is awarded .1 CEU.
This activity was reviewed by Elise Schriver, MD, on November 14, 2023. This activity was released on January 1, 2025 and will expire on December 31, 2026. SVMIC will not process any completions after December 31, 2026.
CME Disclosure
In accordance with ACCME Standard 3: Identify, Mitigate and Disclose Relevant Financial Relationships, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine (UTCOM) requires that anyone who is in a position to control the content of an activity disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies within the past 24 months. Prior to the planning and implementation of this CME activity, UTCOM has taken steps to identify and resolve conflicts of interest for all individuals in a position to control content of this CME activity. No commercial support was received for this activity.
Faculty/Planning Committee Disclosure
The following faculty and/or planning committee members have indicated they have no 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: Shelly Weatherly, JD, VP; Julie Loomis, AVP; Jeff Woods, JD; Trish Campbell, BSN, LNCC, Director.
Staff and Content Reviewer(s)
SVMIC staff, input committee and all content validation reviewers involved with this activity have reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.
Which version of this course should I select?
There are three slightly different versions of this course based on where it was presented in 2024. If you are located outside of any of the three states listed above, we recommend you select the "Tennessee" option for enrollment. There is only a small amount of state-specific information within the course, and the majority of its content is still very applicable to anyone, no matter where they are located.
DISCLAIMER
This course was offered as a live seminar in 2024 and 2025. Policyholders who attended the live version are not eligible to complete this online course for premium credit, and premium credit will not be given for completing the same course twice. If you are unsure whether you have already completed the live version of this course, click here to submit an inquiry.