The Impact of Malpractice Claims on Physicians’ Well-Being and Practice

Objectives Malpractice litigation causes extreme stress. We examine the psychological impact of malpractice claims on physicians’ well-being and the consequences on patient care. Methods A confidential telephone survey, administered to physicians with both open and closed claims from the previous year, explored symptoms, well-being changes, needs, impairments, and practice changes. Results Of the 282 respondents, more than half (56.38%) reported a notable psychological reaction to the malpractice claim, with no differences between the open and closed claims (P = 0.2477) or between closed claims with and without a payout (P = 1). Physicians facing criminal proceedings were more likely to experience a notable psychological impact (P = 0.0206). Almost half of the respondents (45.39%) acknowledged practice changes: viewing patients as potential plaintiffs (45.39%), paying more attention to recordkeeping (42.19%), obtaining medicolegal training (37.94%), ordering more tests (36.17%), and avoiding specific kinds of patients (21.63%) or procedures (19.85%). Acknowledging a psychological impact was positively and significantly associated with professional practice changes (P
Source: Journal of Patient Safety - Category: Health Management Tags: The Health Care Manager Source Type: research