Professional Insurance?

The days when the doctors and dentists were looked on with unquestioned respect is over. That was the time when medical malpractice was hardly heard of. But patients have since become more discerning and have started questioning some practices of health professionals. Though it's true that most health professionals are decent human beings who never intended for any mistakes or accidents to happen, the truth is that they do, even with the best intentions. Health professionals are, after all, human, and humans are far from perfect. But we all strive to be.

Nevertheless, we do have to stand by our decisions. Patients may not understand why complications may occur, but they certain would not hesitate to question and demand for professional liability so we might as well be prepared for such eventualities. I would hate for the Philippines to turn into a litiginous society like some countries where McDonald's is sued for getting people obese, for scalding people because hot coffee wasn't labeled as such, and a burglar actually sued the homeowners because he had an accident while trying to enter their house! That would be such a scary thought! But it appears that we don't have a choice, because people are already heading in that direction of thinking. Preparing ourselves for the possibility that we may get charged eventually, even with the noblest of intentions and the most unexpected of results, is the best thing that we can do. I do not really relish the thought of having to take on an insurance hedge against malpractice. Having said that, I believe that a patient will only sue his doctor or dentist if there is a lapse in communication and things don't go according to plan. Patients then question the doctor or dentist for doing whatever was done. I believe that with proper priming and communication with the patient and his family, possible side effects and complications would have been discussed at length so that there would be few surprises and even fewer disappointments and lawsuits.