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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Risk Management

Manual

Risk Management Manual

A Manual for Indian Health Service and Tribal Health Care Professionals

(Third Edition)

August 2018

Risk Management and Medical Liability: A Manual for Indian Health Service and Tribal Health Care Professionals lays down procedures for protecting health care providers from malpractice claims and for responding to a claim. Practitioners will learn the attitudes, knowledge, and skills important to the understanding of risk management and medical liability. This manual offers a basic knowledge and details regarding the Federal Tort Claims Act. The manual spells out how federal medical malpractice tort claims are processed, with particular focus on the Indian Health Service's role and the practitioner's responsibilities related to those processes.

Download the complete Risk Management Manual. [PDF - 1.1 MB]

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Third Edition

  1. Healthcare Risk Management
  2. Underlying Influences That Often Lead to Claims of Malpractice
  3. The Patient-provider Relationship
  4. Informed Consent
  5. The Medical Record
  6. Issues of Provider Competence
  7. The Federal Tort Claims Act
  8. The Malpractice Tort Claim Review Process
  9. The National Practitioner Data Bank
  10. State Licensing Boards and the Federation of State Medical Boards
  11. The Less Said the Better
  12. Giving a Deposition
  13. What to Do If You Are Sued Individually
  14. Risk Management DOs and DON’Ts
  15. Selected Resources