Book excerpt: Outlines the attitudes, knowledge and skills important to medical care risk management and liability. Provides recommendations that indicate ways to help reduce the incidence of malpractice claims. Addresses the patient-provider relationship, legal definitions, patients rights issues, informed consent, documenting and protecting medical records, issues of physician competence, the most frequent allegations found in IHS/tribal malpractice claims, the Fed. Tort Claims Act and claims processing, malpractice reporting agencies, and malpractice suits against individuals. Includes sample affidavits, and a list of risk mgmt. do's and don'ts.