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From Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium

Medical malpractice is the "failure of a professional person, a physician or lawyer, to render proper services through reprehensible ignorance or negligence or through criminal intent, especially when injury or loss follows".^[1]

Contents 1 Epidemiology 1.1 Relationship to medical error 2 Expert testimony 3 Standard of care 4 References

Epidemiology

Malpractice can occur in the inpatient setting, outpatient setting^[2], and with telephone medicine.^[3]

Relationship to medical error

For more information, see: medical error

According to the Harvard Medical Practice Study, "medical-malpractice litigation infrequently compensates patients injured by medical negligence and rarely identifies, and holds providers accountable for, substandard care."^[4] In one study, one third of claims did not involve medical error.^[5]

Expert testimony

Decision analysis has been proposed to improve the reliability of expert testimony.^[6]

Standard of care

References

1. ↑ Anonymous, (2008) term (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
2. ↑ Gandhi TK, Kachalia A, Thomas EJ, et al (2006). "Missed and delayed diagnoses in the ambulatory setting: a study of closed malpractice claims". Ann. Intern. Med. 145 (7): 488–96. PMID 17015866.
3. ↑ Katz HP, Kaltsounis D, Halloran L, Mondor M (2008). "Patient Safety and Telephone Medicine : Some Lessons from Closed Claim Case Review". J Gen Intern Med. DOI:10.1007/s11606-007-0491-y. PMID 18228110.
4. ↑ Localio AR, Lawthers AG, Brennan TA, et al (1991). "Relation between malpractice claims and adverse events due to negligence. Results of the Harvard Medical Practice Study III". N. Engl. J. Med. 325 (4): 245–51. PMID 2057025.
5. ↑ Studdert DM, Mello MM, Gawande AA, et al (2006). "Claims, errors, and compensation payments in medical malpractice litigation". N. Engl. J. Med. 354 (19): 2024–33. DOI:10.1056/NEJMsa054479. PMID 16687715.
6. ↑ Weir SS, Curtis P, McNutt RA (1990). "Expert testimony based on decision analysis: a malpractice case report". J Gen Intern Med 5 (5): 406–9. PMID 2231036.