The most frequent and costly triggers of litigation for nurses in radiology settings

Abstract

The aim of this article is to introduce nurses and other health professionals to legal aspects that may arise in their specialized field of radiology and ways to avoid triggers for litigation. Although the aim of the nurse is to provide optimum care with an eye toward the best possible patient outcomes, intervening issues will regularly arise in this specialty as in all others. The reader will be provided with an introduction to negligence in the health setting, otherwise known as medical malpractice. Understanding the major tenets of duty, breach of duty, harm, and damages is key in understanding how to optimize the patient's outcomes from a legal perspective. A key legal trigger for nurses in radiology is around communication, whereas misdiagnosis is in the lead for radiologists. An intervention is offered to illustrate how to manage breakdowns in the provision of care in radiology.