A PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALTH COURTS

The American Medical Assn. recently issued its principles for health courts:

• Health courts should be structured to create a fair and expeditious system for the resolution of medical liability claims--with a goal of resolving all claims within one year from the filing date.

• Health court judges should have specialized training in the delivery of medical care that qualifies them for serving on a health court.

• Negligence should be the minimum threshold for compensation to award damages.

• Health court judgments should not limit the recovery of economic damages, but non-economic damages should be based on a schedule.

• Qualified experts should be utilized to assist a health court in reaching a judgment.

• Health court pilot projects should have a sunset mechanism to ensure participating physicians, hospitals and insurers do not experience a drastic financial impact based on the new judicial format.

Source: American Medical Assn.