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.
