Workers Compensation patients are usually limited in their doctor choice by the insurance company’s MPN (Medical Provider Network). But this does not mean that patients have no choices for their doctor. It is very important to obtain the best physician possible. Anytime a surgery is involved there could be fatal risks, even for routine operations. Many surgical injuries are avoidable, but the key is to pick the right doctor.
Medicare data shows that of 2.3 million surgeries, about 63,000 suffered serious injury and another 3,405 died. Complication rates usually range from 2 to 4 percent of procedures. However, surgeons that are highly active and experienced have a much lower complication rate than other surgeons that are less practiced. A 2016 Stanford University analysis showed that about 1 percent of doctors accounted for 32 percent of won medical malpractice claims. For some surgeries patients of the worst doctors were three times more likely to die than those operated on by the best surgeons. It is very important to research and choose the best doctor available to you.
You can learn about any physician by confirming their state credentials with the State Medical Boards. Go to fsmb.org to check your physician or a physician you’re planning on seeing. On this website, for a small fee, you can also see if the physician has ever had a medical malpractice claim, board actions, or even criminal convictions. Next, you can confirm the surgical certification of the physician. Go to certificationmatters.org to find out whether the surgeon is board certified or has a specialty in a field. You can also check the ratings of the physician based on Medicare data. Go to projects.propublica.org/surgeons or SurgeonRatings.org.
