The Carole Houk International (CHI) Medical Ombudsman/Mediator™ (MEDIC+OM) Program is a proven dispute resolution system for hospitals, medical centers, insurance companies, and physician practice groups of all sizes and community settings. Created and implemented by CHI principal and attorney, Carole Houk, the MEDIC+OM Program is designed to quickly eliminate an overwhelming percentage of a healthcare provider's expensive and adversarial medical malpractice court battles. In addition to dramatically reducing malpractice costs, the MEDIC+OM Program fosters the immediate improvement of healthcare procedures and delivery on multiple levels. It is currently a powerful service component of recognized healthcare provider organizations nationwide, including Kaiser Permanente and the National Naval Medical Center.

The Medical Ombudsman/Mediators is a professionally trained, neutral, independent, and confidential dispute resolution provider. An MEDIC+OM is employed by an organization to equitably resolve patient/provider disputes at the lowest possible level in order to avoid escalation to litigation. Informally investigating complaints within the organization and facilitating discussions between patients and providers, the Medical Ombudsman/Mediators assists patients and providers with concerns about unanticipated adverse outcomes, medical errors, communication breakdown, or dissatisfaction with quality of care. In addition, the Medical Ombudsman/Mediators coaches practitioners on the most appropriate approach to disclosing unexpected adverse outcomes and restoring damaged trust.

Why are healthcare providers so strongly supportive of the CHI MEDIC+OM Program?

Because, of the 80-120 potentially compensable events managed by the Medical Ombudsman/Mediator each year, 90-98 percent of them will be resolved without legal action. While patients are not asked to waive their right to litigate, and statutory limitations periods need to run, MEDIC+OM participant organizations should see a reduction in their malpractice claims beginning in their first year. In successive years, this percentage will increase as the medical community shifts from a culture where denial and defense are the standard to one in which participants are free to communicate honestly and with compassion.

The MEDIC+OM Program supplements this innovative approach with customized training for physicians on how to communicate to patients about unanticipated adverse outcomes.

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