A NEW RESOURCE FOR MANAGING MALPRACTICE RISKS IN MANAGED CARE

The risk of malpractice liability faced by physicians is exacerbated b y third-party intrusions such as those encountered in today's managed care environment. The likelihood that a malpractice action will be bro ught is increased by the interaction among patients, families, or phys icians who are at high risk for litigation and situations (eg, denial of treatment benefits by the managed care organization) that create ad versity. To prevent the ready translation of resource adversity into a n adversarial physician-patient-family relationship, a forensic psychi atric consultation is recommended.