The most common cause for a medical malpractice claim is a provider's failure or delay in diagnosis, according to a new study published in BMJ Open.
For "The Epidemiology of Malpractice Claims in Primary Care," researchers conducted a systematic review of 34 studies on medical malpractice claims. Fifteen studies were based in the United States, while nine were from the United Kingdom and the remainder from Australia, Canada and France.
A failure or delay in diagnosis represented 26 to 63 percent of all claims across the studies. Common missed or delayed diagnoses included cancer and myocardial infarction in adults and meningitis in children.
Medication errors were the second-most common allegation in medical malpractice claims. These events represented 5.6 percent to 20 percent of all claims from the included studies.
Authors also concluded the annual prevalence of medical malpractice claims against family practitioners "appears to heave remained relatively stable over the last two decades." Family medicine is one of the top five most-sued specialties in America, but the majority of malpractice claims are successfully defended. In the United States, about one-third of claims result in payment to the plaintiff, according to the study.
More Articles on Malpractice Claims:
10 Most Pressing Career Concerns for Physicians
Florida Bill Would Establish More Restrictions for Medical Malpractice Suits
Utah Bill Would Change Medical Malpractice Process