True cost of medical malpractice
The debates over health care reform may soon become more informed. A new study undertaken by a group of researchers, including Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Professor Amitabh Chandra, provides a detailed snapshot of U.S. medical malpractice claims, awards, and frequency by specialty. “Malpractice Risk According to Physician Specialty” was published in the Aug. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). “We were surprised that the probability of facing at least one malpractice claim over the average physician’s career was so high and particularly that so many claims did not result in payment,” says Chandra, HKS professor of public policy and corresponding author of the NEJM report. “The malpractice insurance that physicians purchase does not insure them from the emotional costs of being involved in litigation. These hassle costs have no social value, but given the frequency of litigation supports physicians’ perceptions of the inefficiency of the current malpractice system” Despite...