Healthcare acquired infections: malpractice and litigation issues

Abstract

Background: Healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) represent a significant burden for hospitalized patients in terms of mortality, morbidity, length of stay and costs. Also cause medical liability and medical malpractice litigation.

Methods: Specific keywords combinations were analitically searched in PubMed and Scopus databases. Publications concerning medical liability, medical malpractice and litigation issues were reviewed.

Results: The authors outlined the healthcare workers and healthcare settings mandatory duties in consideration of the Italian law. In case of infections occurred in hospital environment the patients must demonstrate the guilty nature of the physicians and healthcare settings, the existence of a harm and causal connection. Physicians and healthcare facilities defence is mainly based on demonstration that protocols and aseptic measures were adopted scrupulously applying the up to date scientific knowledge.

Conclusions: HAI are a complex issue which need a multitask strategy and a surveillance system to control the phenomenon and help physicians and healthcare facilities to reduce malpractice litigation.

Keywords: Cross infection; Litigation; Malpractice.