Medical Malpractice Insurance: Are Transporters Covered?

Medical facilities should ensure all employees have the proper amount of malpractice insurance.

When getting malpractice insurance for the facility, know how to cover all levels of care providers. Naturally, a physician will need high levels of coverage.

However, physicians aren’t the only practitioners who interact with patients on a daily basis. There are nurses, surgical assistants, every level of the totem pole. So, how does medical malpractice insurance cover lower-tiered medical professionals, like orderly transporters?

What are transports?

Most facilities employ transporters to move patients safely from place to place. Transporters have to move a patient from one part of the facility to another. They must do so without causing harm to an already-sensitive person.

What are some of the typical duties of transporters?

Transporters are specifically trained in the guidelines of moving disabled or incapacitated patients. This requires skill and knowledge of safety procedures.

Transporters often have to follow specific steps when moving a patient, such as:

• Moving a patient from the bed to the stretcher or wheelchair without causing injury
• Securing a patient to the transport, such as with a safety strap or seatbelt
• Ensuring the patient’s comfort
• Monitoring the patient’s vital signs and any equipment attached to the patient
• Navigating the transport in a way that ensures the patient’s comfort and safety
• Delivering the patient to the correct location
• Verifying that the new location receives the patient under their care

Why transports need malpractice coverage

Moving a sick or disabled patient is a sensitive operation. Should a patient sustain harm during transport, they could claim malpractice from a hospital. That’s why facilities have to protect transporters with proper levels of liability coverage.

Many hospitals can cover transports on the hospital’s liability policies. This can ensure that they have enough coverage to protect the risks. However, know your employees. If a transporter specializes in high-risk transports, they might need more malpractice coverage.

Practice safe transports

Transporters should use caution and professionalism when moving patients. This reduces the risk of harm. They should always follow transport techniques as required by their training.

• Make sure it is safe to move patients before doing so
• Don’t move a patient in an unsecured manner. Don’t move the patient at a speed that is uncomfortable to the patient
• Monitor the patient’s vitals. Make sure all medical equipment works before you start off
• Don’t leave the patient unattended at any time

Make sure that transporters you hire are qualified professionals. Don’t hire transporters who don’t understand the nature of their jobs.

Give the Joseph A. Britton Agency a call today at (908) 654-6464. We can help you get New York malpractice insurance for all levels of employees. Explore our website to learn more or get started today.