Which specialties get sued the most, which the least?

[Bluesaurus]

Anyone know where there is data tabulated on this?

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[deleted103644]

Not sure if this data is tabulated anywhere, but just look up the average insurance costs for each specialty - that should correspond pretty closely.

 

[Rollo]

I would guess Ob/Gyn gets sued the most and Psych the least?

 

[SAvoodoo]

i wish there was a way to search this site....

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/gts...owthread.php%3Fp%3D9624521%23post9624521#1312

or all internet sites...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=medical+malpractice+rates+by+specialty

 

[flip26]

OB/GYNs get sued a ton...

 

[Parts Unknown]

Anyone know where there is data tabulated on this?

During my residency orientation the institution showed us some data on this topic. You could probably find articles on it if you search PubMed.

The number of lawsuits is one facet, but the other is the average payout per (successful) lawsuit.

In general, psychiatry and pathology (my field) have the lowest lifetime risks of being sued, but pathology has one of the highest average payouts. We most commonly get nailed by situations like this one.

OB/GYN is high on the list of lifetime risk, but the highest are actually some of the surgical subspecialites. The killer with OB/GYN is that a lawsuit can generate a lifetime of medical care payment for a messed up child, which is some major $$$.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

i wish there was a way to search this site....

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/gts...owthread.php%3Fp%3D9624521%23post9624521#1312

or all internet sites...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=medical+malpractice+rates+by+specialty

I think this only works as a burn when the searches bring up the desired answer. In this case, neither search gives a link to the OP's question...

 

[skiddoc]

I think this only works as a burn when the searches bring up the desired answer. In this case, neither search gives a link to the OP's question...

Buuuuuuurn

 

[SAvoodoo]

I think this only works as a burn when the searches bring up the desired answer. In this case, neither search gives a link to the OP's question...

you are correct...i only read the title and not the followup question...

*hangs head in shame*

 

[lord_jeebus]

in general:

the more risk you take, the more money you make

 

[skiddoc]

in general:

the more risk you take, the more money you make

and the more money you stand to lose, no?

 

[lord_jeebus]

and the more money you stand to lose, no?

yes - that's the "risk"

 

[ArkansasRanger]

From what I've gathered talking to physicians, obstetrics is a high risk area while radiologists interpreting mammograms is high risk. A radiologist told me that not many of them will read mammograms anymore because of it. This was a few years ago, and I never looked into it. I'm not interested in either of those fields in the least bit so no biggie to me.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

you are correct...i only read the title and not the followup question...

*hangs head in shame*

No worries! The Interweb is a tricky place.

 

[sustentacular]

I would guess Ob/Gyn gets sued the most and Psych the least?

My guess is forensic path gets sued the least.. I could see psychs getting sued if their patients kill themselves... or someone else.

 

[ekcMD]

This thread happened to catch my eye. Being in med school has allowed me to talk to a lot of doctors and they all say the same thing: it's not a matter how of often you get sued, it's how often the patient WINS, which, if you can show that you used good judgment, always prevails in the court of law. Just wanted to make sure that none of you were choosing what field you wanted to go into based on the rate of litigation. You will be sued, and more often than not, be unaware of it. When a patient presses charges, they lump all of the doctors into the lawsuit (the radiologist that read the x-ray, the different internists that served as consultants, the pathologist that read ran the test, etc.)

So you can't even control it really. I organized a day-long event where there was a residency panel from 12 different specialties, and arranged for physicians from all over the country and malpractice attorneys to talk to our school about the business aspect of medicine. Their advice - if the patient likes you as a person, you will never get sued personally (those group lawsuits are something else, and don't really matter) even if you make a mistake.

You can be the most amazing doctor, but if you lack that certain bedside manner, or the patient just feels like they're not connecting with you, it severely ups the chances. On the other hand, if you f*ck up, but they like you, they most likely won't sue. It's just the way it goes.

Also, the majority of patients don't sue because you messed up. They sue because they don't like the outcome. If you've clearly explained the risks of the treatment beforehand, you're covered. Again, it's not about the number of times you get sued, it's how often they succeed that matters. And if you're a good doctor and write everything down in the chart like you're supposed to, and you explain things to the patient, they'll never win the case.

What everyone said at the event? Expect to get sued about once every 3 - 7 years, and just let the in-house attorneys deal with it.

 

[Rollo]

My guess is forensic path gets sued the least.. I could see psychs getting sued if their patients kill themselves... or someone else.

True, that was my second guess. Actually, I was stuck between path and derm because how many times a dermatologist is going to get sued because he forgot to pop somebody's pimple?

I kid, I kid..

 

[Hoody]

in general:

the more risk you take, the more money you make

so you think cutting into an otherwise healthy person to remove some adenoids or tonsils is more risky than managing someone with 15+ active problems and serious poly pharma going on? I politely disagree.....but than again, I'm just PRE med and therefore I know nothing.

*also hangs head in shame*

 

[Hoody]

how many times a dermatologist is going to get sued because he forgot to pop somebody's pimple?

 

[BlueElmo]

I heard neurosurgery is also pretty high up there on the list.

 

[Ilvcurst]

What the medical student posted above seems very correct. It doesn't matter how many times you get sued, it's how many times you'll lose the case.

A lot of OB/GYNs have told me that there is a strong lack of them because they have the highest lawsuit rates. Apparently people like to sue OBs when their baby doesn't come out perfect (as if the OB can control what they were doing for 9 months or random genetic factors).

 

[Geekchick921]

I heard neurosurgery is also pretty high up there on the list.

I'm surprised no one else mentioned this. I'm pretty sure Ob/Gyn malpractice rates are second only to neurosurgery. I think Ortho-spine is pretty high as well (for the same reason as neurosurg, you screw up someone's nervous system, there's probably a huge payout.)

 

[Hoody]

What the medical student posted above seems very correct. It doesn't matter how many times you get sued, it's how many times you'll lose the case.

A lot of OB/GYNs have told me that there is a strong lack of them because they have the highest lawsuit rates. Apparently people like to sue OBs when their baby doesn't come out perfect (as if the OB can control what they were doing for 9 months or random genetic factors).

I personally don't know any physicians who have been sued. and Ive worked at a hospital for several years....so I don't know how common it really is. And the doc I'm dating told me that a lot of people may sue, but a lot of people lose (doesn't mean its not a headache still).

Separate finances. Asset protection. Disability insurance. those are also all important.

 

[locus000]

All i know is OBGYN is really bad since people sue over the smallest mistakes in their kid.. even non-preventable ones.

Medical Examiner probably dont have to worry about Malpractice Insurance

 

[sustentacular]

What the medical student posted above seems very correct. It doesn't matter how many times you get sued, it's how many times you'll lose the case.

A lot of OB/GYNs have told me that there is a strong lack of them because they have the highest lawsuit rates. Apparently people like to sue OBs when their baby doesn't come out perfect (as if the OB can control what they were doing for 9 months or random genetic factors).

What about the potential third outcome: the settlement? Sometimes it is cheaper just to offer a settlement even if you'd "win" at trial. Does anyone know if/how it affects the Dr.s named in the suit if your hospital decides to settle a case?

 

[familyaerospace]

I organized a day-long event where there was a residency panel from 12 different specialties, and arranged for physicians from all over the country and malpractice attorneys to talk to our school about the business aspect of medicine. Their advice - if the patient likes you as a person, you will never get sued personally (those group lawsuits are something else, and don't really matter) even if you make a mistake.

That is very similar to what one of the doctors I shadowed said. Basically he gives the illusion of friendship with his patients because "your friends will never sue you."

 

[lord_jeebus]

so you think cutting into an otherwise healthy person to remove some adenoids or tonsils is more risky than managing someone with 15+ active problems and serious poly pharma going on? I politely disagree.....but than again, I'm just PRE med and therefore I know nothing.

*also hangs head in shame*

I think that doing a year of adenoids and tonsils, even in healthy patients, in a busy private practice setting exposes you to a greater number of patients than a year in the primary care setting you describe - and a higher number of unique patients equals higher risk. You're doing a procedure with potential acute airway complications many times daily.

Managing someone with 15+ problems is a pain, but you can minimize risk through expert consultation as needed and they're much more likely to succumb to their own disease than to your treatment efforts.

Sure, you could face frivolous suits when they have bad outcomes, but you'll also face frivolous suits from people with mild surgical complications in the ENT case.

 

[Lewist02]

I've shadowed 5 OBGYN's in private practice, and logged ~30 hours in labor and delivery...(still a small sample size...I know). None of the OBGYN's i've shadowed have ever been sued personally. And a lot of times you find that your contract salary already includes malpractice. For example - if you're banking $265,000/yr, that's after malpractice is covered. Obviously this may change if you're sued. I brought up the malpractice topic to all of them, because i'm seriously considering OB, and the consensus seemed to be that it's understood throughout the system that OB is risky to begin with (unless something goes terribly wrong), and many cases brought against the doctor, the doctor wins. This understanding is further increased when considering an OB that deals primarily with high risk pregnancies.

ANYWAY - sorry to babel....what I mean by this post is that all of the Docs told me not to worry about malpractice - that if i'm a competent doctor, I most likely won't have to deal with much in terms of lawsuits.