The National Arbitration Forum Blog

Chatón T. Turner, assistant counsel at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, documents her experience with the Medical Center's mediation programs in Bringing Mediation In-House Is Cost-Effective in More Ways Than One (Legal Intelligencer, 6/25/2009). Five years ago, the hospital designed two ADR programs to give their "customers" (i.e., patients or families) additional legal recourse – mediation — against the hospital.

1. Claims Mediation Program - Mediation used to resolve some lawsuits filed against the system by customers.
2. Intermediation Program - Mediation used to resolve complaints and grievances filed with the Medical Center's patient relations department.

Previously, the customers' only option if the grievance process was unsuccessful was patient-unfriendly litigation. Now, says Turner, the hospital sees a decrease in legal costs from mediating disputes involving patient care. Moreover, because healthcare disputes are personal and emotional, mediation gives the opportunity to tell one's story without doing so in public court. Mediation also allows for efficient resolution of disputes meaning parties can focus on their health instead of their dispute.