Healthcare Technology's Impact on Medical Malpractice

Authors: Kristin McMahon, Special Counsel, Kerns, Pitrof, Frost & Pearlman; Jack McCarthy, President, Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions; Robert W. Goodson, Esq., Partner, Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP; Joshua Stein, Chief Underwriting Officer, OneBeacon Professional Partners; Dianne O’Donnell, Vice President, AVRECO; Karen Zyck, Editor, AVRECO

"The impact of technology on healthcare, from the standpoint of both doctors and patients, has clearly been a positive one. For many, advances in the understanding and treatment of operable diseases have meant a second chance at life. New and simplified procedures enter the medical field almost daily, often with the added benefit of increased hospital productivity and ease of surgical performance. Put together, these advances should lead to fewer patient deaths or hospital-related injuries and an overall decrease in physician and surgeon error. So why aren’t we seeing a corresponding decrease in medical professional liability premiums? A recent panel discussion at the annual Crittenden conference aimed to analyze the current state of healthcare technology and to assess its impact on medical malpractice premiums..."