We have had physicians who have not told their spouses they were getting sued because they were told not to talk about it with anybody. We tell them they must talk to someone about how it feels to be sued. On a practical level, the home front is place that you can probably get your best support. In addition to talking to people about the experience and looking for peer counseling or a support group, Michigan's Mr. Passineau recommends newly sued physicians try to keep control of their hours, make increased use of second opinions and consultations, emphasize their people skills, shore up their personal relationships, monitor their use of alcohol and other drugs and make it a priority to maintain balance in their professional and personal lives. And, said Mr. Reading, doctors must figure out the kinds of things they need to do for themselves to help them cope with these litigation stressors over the long haul.
Lawsuits typically run as long as five or six years.
They call you up and say they are coming for the weekend, and seven years later, you are still having breakfast with them in the morning and they are not working. That's the way you have to learn how to live with the malpractice suit. All rights reserved.