About this event
Going to trial is inherently stressful. Juries are unpredictable, expert witnesses can be frustrating, and a defendant physician has little control over how events proceed. In this session, Dr. Gita Pensa will explore the practical and psychological preparation required when a case goes to trial, the sequence of events, best practices when navigating a trial, and how to present yourself and testify effectively.
Who can attend
Registration is limited to ISMIE and SEMPIC policyholders and their employed staff.
Learning objectives
At the conclusion of this learning activity, participants will be able to:
- Describe the defendant’s role in trial preparation
- Summarize characteristics of effective trial testimony
- List variables that may influence the decision to settle a case
- Identify sources of support for litigation stress during this high-risk period
About the presenter
Dr. Gita Pensa is an associate professor, clinician educator, at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Emergency Medicine. She joined Brown's academic faculty in 2014, after 13 years in community emergency medicine practice. Dr. Pensa is the creator of the open access podcast "Doctors and Litigation: The L Word", a narrative educational series about the psychological and practical preparation for malpractice litigation and the management of litigation stress. She speaks nationally on the topic of malpractice litigation as well. Dr. Pensa herself endured a 12-year litigation battle, prevailing twice at trial.
Dr. Pensa was named the 2018 EMRA (Emergency Medicine Residents' Association) National Mentor of the Year, and most recently won the ACEP (American College of Emergency Physicians) Rhode Island Chapter's 2019 Special Service Recognition award for "Courageous Public Advocacy of RI Emergency Medicine Colleagues." She is also the creator and faculty editor for Brown Emergency Medicine's educational blog, which now garners over 10,000 visits each month, as well as the Brown EM Podcast series. She created and serves as host/editor of AEM Early Access, a collaborative podcasting project from the Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training journal and the Brown EM residency. Dr. Pensa is Associate Director (Education) of Brown's Emergency Digital Health Innovation program. At the local level, she teaches about podcasting and educational technology, and serves as a longitudinal mentor to over thirty Brown medical students.
Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Illinois State Medical Society and ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company. The Illinois State Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation
The Illinois State Medical Society designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure
There are no relevant financial relationships with ACCME-defined commercial interests for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity.
ISMIE Risk Management
Our Passion Protects YoursISMIE Mutual provides superior insurance services to medical practices and providers, delivering quality, value and protection to policyholders everywhere.
