Canadian legal cases in ophthalmology: a closer look at 40 years' worth of data

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to report on ophthalmology-involved medical litigation cases in Canada. Most cases were ruled in favour of the ophthalmologist, but most of those that were not immediately dismissed by the judge were ruled in favour of the plaintiff. Notably, a plurality of these cases argued for a lack of informed consent, and every case in which a lack was successfully pleaded was ruled in favour of the plaintiff, highlighting the importance of appropriate informed consent. The findings of this study give Canadian ophthalmologists insight into areas of practice that commonly lead to litigation and can aid in improving clinical practice and risk management.PMID:36931321 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcjo.2023.02.007
Source: Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology - Category: Opthalmology Authors: Source Type: research