While 2020 brought declines in surgical revenue and drops in patient intake, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a paradigm shift. Adaptations and innovations designed to cope with the pandemic could be a boon for the surgical field in 2021, and changes in malpractice coverage could impact how surgeons conduct business this year.
Some insights from the piece
- The comeback of elective surgery is on – surgical revenues are expected to jump and get back to pre-pandemic numbers, but surgeons should beware of burnout when trying to keep pace with surgical demands. Burnout is a leading cause of medical mistakes that can result in a malpractice claim.
- Medical malpractice insurance rates aren’t going down – but they aren’t going up either. Rates for neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons and bariatric surgeons maintained at their pre-pandemic prices.
- Make sure any surgical specialty is covered by insurance. With the rise in elective surgery, it is now more crucial than ever for bariatric surgeons and all surgical specialists to check their medical malpractice coverage and make sure they are protected.
- The future of robotic surgery in the wake of the pandemic. Robotic surgical tools like the da Vinci and Ion are providing new avenues for surgical teams to remotely perform surgery. Expect telemedicine too to play a larger role in the surgeon-patient relationship in 2021.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2021/03/08/604060.htm
