Navigating Risks in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Patient Safety Monitor Insider

October 14, 2015

Editor’s Note: This article was written by Penny Greenberg, RN, MS; Darrell Ranum, JD, CPHRM; and Dana Siegal, RN, CPHRM and appears in the September/October issue of PSQH.

For any woman or man, the diagnosis of breast cancer means having to navigate a very complex healthcare system. In addition to dealing with the emotions of a cancer diagnosis, patients have to rely on the expertise, communication, and empathy of caregivers who practice in environments with inherent risks. To identify these risks and provide insights into potential vulnerabilities for providers and patients, CRICO Strategies and The Doctors Company recently partnered on a detailed analysis of 562 breast cancer medical malpractice claims from 2009 to 2014.

CRICO Strategies and The Doctors Company undertook this analysis knowing that, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among American women. It affects approximately one in eight women and is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Additionally, a small number of men are diagnosed with and die from breast cancer yearly. The good news is that the overall rate of newly diagnosed cases began to decrease in 2000, and the overall death rate has continued to trend downward over the past 20 years (A snapshot of breast cancer, 2014).

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