Medscape interviewed 4,000-plus physicians in 25-plus specialties about malpractice lawsuit experiences.
Physicians reported the following reasons for their lawsuits:
• Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis — 31 percent
• Complications from treatment or surgery — 27 percent
• Poor outcome or disease progression — 24 percent
• Failure to treat or delayed treatment — 17 percent
• Wrongful death — 16 percent
• Patient suffered an abnormal injury — 9 percent
• Errors in medication administration — 3 percent
• Poor documentation of patient instruction and education — 3 percent
• Improperly obtaining or lack of informed consent — 2 percent
• Failure to follow safety procedures — 2 percent