Posted in: | Apr 05,2020
A new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics finds that there has been a drop in the number of medical malpractice claims related to the practice of pediatrics across the country.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released the results of a Periodic Survey. This survey was a random national survey of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Seven surveys were conducted between 1987 and 2015. The members were asked about the medical malpractice claims in which they had been sued.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Pediatrics recently. The results of the survey find that the rates of pediatricians being sued for medical malpractice have dipped between 1987 and 2015. The results indicate that the peak of medical malpractice action involving pediatrics was in 1990, when 33 percent of pediatricians reported being involved in medical malpractice claims. In 2015, that rate dropped to 21 percent.
Male pediatricians were more likely to be sued for medical negligence, compared to female ones. The rate of litigation for male pediatricians was 36 percent, compared to a rate of just 17 percent for females. Hospital-based sub specialties like emergency care, critical care or neonatology were much more like to be involved in medical malpractice claims or lawsuits. The rate of claims for in-hospital pediatrics subspecialties was 36 percent, compared to a rate of 26 percent for non-hospital sub specialties.
Pediatricians who worked longer hours were more likely to be sued as part of a medical malpractice claim. A longer career also seems to be a risk factor for medical malpractice claims.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, understanding the data and its analyses is critical to helping understand how such claims can be avoided through the use of enhanced safety projects, identifying parameters that help avoid errors as well as implementing management practices.
