MPL Association Partners with I-PASS to Advance Patient Safety, Reduce Claims, and Mitigate Financial Exposure
- New Healthcare Communications Improvement Initiative connects risk and patient safety leaders with proven handoff methodology.
- Miscommunication is the leading cause of medical errors and medical liability cases, with communication errors being twice as expensive to defend as those without. Communication breakdowns play a disproportionately large role in the growing frequency of claims and megaverdicts.
- Data highlights: 40% of asserted MPL cases from 2014-2024 involved communication-related factors; Communication-related cases had a 39% greater odds of closing with an indemnity payment.¹
(Rockville, MD, March 5, 2026)—The Medical Professional Liability Association (MPL Association) and I-PASS Patient Safety Institute today announced a strategic partnership to improve patient safety and reduce communication-related medical errors through the launch of the Healthcare Communications Improvement Initiative.
Communication breakdowns during patient handoffs are among the most common contributors to high-severity medical and hospital liability claims, exposing healthcare organizations to millions of dollars in preventable liability while simultaneously placing patients at risk. Through this new partnership, MPL Association members receive discounted access to the I-PASS methodology, providing hospitals, health systems, and self-insured organizations with a proven framework to strengthen care transitions and reduce key drivers of high-severity claims.
“Adopting a systematic approach, rather than focusing on individual error, helps reduce liability-inducing, high-severity events," said Eric R. Anderson, President and CEO of the MPL Association. "By working with I-PASS, we offer our members access to a practical, evidence-based solution that addresses one of the most costly contributing factors in high-severity claims: breakdowns in communication during patient handoffs. We know claims involving communication issues are more complicated, involve a longer time to resolution, and are more likely to result in payment.”
“I-PASS was built to solve one of healthcare’s most persistent problems: miscommunication during care transitions,” said Marshall Burkhart, CEO of the I-PASS Patient Safety Institute. “Partnering with the MPL Association allows us direct access to risk, claims, and captive leaders who witness the downstream effects of these failures every day. Together, we can help organizations adopt a structured approach that improves safety for patients while also reducing liability exposure.”
As part of the partnership, the MPL Association is also offering joint education for members with a focus on strategies to reduce miscommunication during patient handoffs and improve clinical and financial outcomes. The organizations also will explore demonstration projects with self-insured healthcare systems to measure impact and develop case examples for broader adoption.
“This is another exciting step in our commitment to bring value to MPL Association members and support the healthcare community,” Anderson said. “We look forward to working with I-PASS and the journey ahead to make a measurable impact on patient safety and claims reduction.”