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Which physicians have a higher malpractice risk?

Study finds communication gaps cited in liability cases

Topics: Referral Management, Physician Issues, Process Improvement, Efficiency, Performance Improvement, Care Coordination, Methodologies, Screening and Prevention, Communication Skills, Skill Development, Workforce

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November 08, 2011

Diagnostic physicians may face a higher malpractice risk for failing to communicate test results to other physicians, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Clinicians across the past decade have ordered an increasing number of diagnostic examinations, the study said. For example, the researchers cite a previous study that found that malpractice payments related to diagnosis increased by roughly 40% from 1996 to 2003. 

For the new study, researchers from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and colleagues analyzed data from the National Practitioner Data Bank and found that the total indemnity payout for claims related to three types of communication failures jumped from $21.7 million in 1991 to $91 million in 2010. The communication gaps included failure of physicians and patients to receive test results, delays in report findings, and long turnaround times.

The authors also examined data from the Controlled Risk Insurance Company/Risk Management Foundation and found that 306 of 8,417 medical malpractice cases between 2004 and 2008 were associated with test result communication failures. Radiologists were listed as primary defendants in nearly 8% of the cases.

According to the researchers, using semi-automated critical test result management systems could improve safety, shorten hospital stays, and reduce malpractice risk by providing legal documentation. "[H]ealth care organizations need clear policies that define the responsibility of reporting and referring providers to ensure patient follow-up," the authors said (Medical News Today, 11/3; Hand, Medscape Medical News, 11/4; UPI; 11/3).

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