The Patient Safety Organization (PSO) databases will allow healthcare providers to share aggregated data on errors, including causes and solutions, creating an evidence-based approach to patient safety on a national scale, with annual reports identifying trends and tracking improvements. Close calls are the best indication of an organization's risk exposure. The mistakes that are caught before harm occurs should be considered red flags, signifying problem areas that need immediate attention (Mc Bride 157).
One surprising finding is that many malpractice lawsuits today are not even due to medical negligence, but to poor communications and mismanaged expectations. Based on several recent studies, it was concluded that the patients who have not suffered damage from actual malpractice filed the majority of lawsuits against physicians (Dolin 255). The patients' attorneys say the main reason that clients approach them with the intention of suing a doctor is that they couldn't get a satisfactory response to their complaints or questions about their care (Karp