5 Lessons From the Joan Rivers Lawsuit
Higher safety standards will reduce your exposure to liability claims.
W
hat lessons
can we
learn from
the recently settled
medical malpractice
lawsuit against the
clinic where Joan
Rivers stopped breath-
ing and died days after
undergoing a routine
endoscopy? The suit
alleged that doctors at Yorkville Endoscopy performed unauthorized
procedures, snapped a cell phone selfie with the comedienne and
failed to act as her vital signs deteriorated. In a statement, Ms. Rivers's
daughter, Melissa Rivers, said that she "will work towards ensuring
higher safety standards in outpatient surgical clinics." Here are 5 key
takeaways from the case.
Routine doesn't mean risk-free. The American Society of
Anesthesiologists (ASA) reminds us that although anesthesia is
now considered routine, that doesn't mean it is risk-free. "Any number
of things can go wrong in the operating room," said ASA President
Jane C. K. Fitch, MD. Whether you're in a fast-paced cataract clinic,
an endoscopy suite or a standard OR, stress to staff and physicians to
treat each case with extreme care and remain on guard to protect the
patient.
Mistakes can be costly. The amount of the Rivers settlement
wasn't disclosed, but lawyers confirmed that it was "substantial."
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2 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U l y 2 0 1 6
Medical Malpractice
Michael Wong, JD
• COMEDY OF ERRORS With the Joan Rivers malpractice case settled, there are some key takeaways from the tragedy.