Physician, Gird Thyself: Being Sued Is Nearly a Given
Most US physicians will be sued at some point during their medical career, says a newly published malpractice-claims study in the NEJM. And for those clinicians in high-risk specialties,* the chance of being sued by the age of 50 approaches 100%. That's sobering news for every physician, who already knew that the odds of a malpractice suit—whether frivolous or no—were high, but who maybe didn't know that they were THAT high.
The study results also, perhaps ironically, support a nihilistic attitude among practitioners, who maybe (maybe) would have been enthusiastic about measures to reduce the risk of a malpractice suit. But given the reported odds now, they might think Why bother?
The happier news from the study (at least from the physicians' and insurer's perspectives): A minority (22%) of malpractice claims lead to a payment.
The quasi-perplexing news: Higher payments aren't necessarily from more frequently sued docs. The average payout from neurosurgeons, $344,811, was substantially less than that from pediatricians, $520,924—despite the fact that a neurosurgeon is about 6 times more likely to be sued in a given year than a pediatrician.
* Surgical specialties, gastroenterology[?], ob-gyn.
The study results also, perhaps ironically, support a nihilistic attitude among practitioners, who maybe (maybe) would have been enthusiastic about measures to reduce the risk of a malpractice suit. But given the reported odds now, they might think Why bother?
The happier news from the study (at least from the physicians' and insurer's perspectives): A minority (22%) of malpractice claims lead to a payment.
The quasi-perplexing news: Higher payments aren't necessarily from more frequently sued docs. The average payout from neurosurgeons, $344,811, was substantially less than that from pediatricians, $520,924—despite the fact that a neurosurgeon is about 6 times more likely to be sued in a given year than a pediatrician.
* Surgical specialties, gastroenterology[?], ob-gyn.
