Such low numbers reflect the difficulty of investigating and prosecuting quality cases, rather than the absence of substandard care, according to experts. Acting to prevent breaches of professional conduct, and not just reacting when such missteps occur, would greatly enhance public protection. The report also argues that public demand and an oversight void puts the ball squarely in the boards' court. We need to identify doctors at risk of harming the public and to help, through regulation, to improve the quality of care overall. Consumer advocates agreed.
PROs are out of the business.
Malpractice suits don't put people out of practice. That's why they have to take on more quality cases, even if they're costly, even if they slow things down. To meet the challenge, however, boards will require an array of new tools, according to the FSMB report. Drawing from approaches that have proven valuable in limited use by individual boards, a special FSMB panel outlined an aggressive course for the group's 69 member boards to pursue. The panel suggests boards gather and use performance and outcomes data collected by PROs and managed care organizations to identify physicians who aren't maintaining acceptable standards of care.