Deposition Preparation for Healthcare Professionals

In the current environment, there is a greater risk that a healthcare professional may be subject to a medical professional liability lawsuit. This exposure arises through litigation that may name a healthcare professional as an individual defendant or through a legal action against a healthcare facility. In addition, a practitioner who is not named in a lawsuit may be called as a witness to respond to questions in a pre-trial deposition.

Whether a case goes to court or is settled before trial, the deposition is one of the most critical stages of litigation and can support or hinder a successful legal defense. A healthcare professional who is called to give a deposition should be as prepared as if he or she was going to testify before a judge and jury.

To help you better understand the deposition process, CNA, the insurance carrier for the HPSO program, has created a video, Preparing for a Deposition.

The video defines what a deposition is, describes the process and provides useful advice related to deposition preparation. It also offers specific examples through a "mock deposition" of a nurse who is unprepared for a deposition and provides a contrast with a nurse who is being prepared by her attorney.

We encourage all healthcare professionals to watch this video and hope you find it a useful resource.