A physician-owned insurance company in US analyzed 1,180 closed claims levied against internal medicine physicians spanning 2007-2014. The findings from the study can be applied to the practitioners globally to avoid getting involved in medico-legal cases. Among their findings: The majority of claims were related to diagnoses, medical treatments, and medication errors. Patients were involved in the top three factors contributing to patient injury.
A majority of patient injuries occurred in either the physician office or clinic, or hospital. While the proportion of claims regarding cases stemming from outpatient facilities has increased. The gap in the proportion of claims levied against hospitalists, versus internists, has gradually closed over the last decade; hospitalists by 2014 were responsible for more than 40% of claims. The risk mitigation strategies: Recognize patient complaints…
