Malpractice suits in chest radiology

J Thorac Imaging. 2013 Nov;28(6):388-91. doi: 10.1097/RTI.0b013e3182a21be2.

Malpractice suits in chest radiology: an evaluation of the histories of 8265 radiologists.

Baker SR, Patel RH, Yang L, Lelkes VM, Castro A 3rd.

Source

Department of Radiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The aim of this study was to present rates of claims, causes of error, percentage of cases resulting in a judgment, and average payments made by radiologists in chest-related malpractice cases in a survey of 8265 radiologists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The malpractice histories of 8265 radiologists were evaluated from the credentialing files of One-Call Medical Inc., a preferred provider organization for computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in workers' compensation cases.

RESULTS:

Of the 8265 radiologists, 2680 (32.4%) had at least 1 malpractice suit. Of those who were sued, the rate of claims was 55.1 per 1000 person years. The rate of thorax-related suits was 6.6 claims per 1000 radiology practice years (95% confidence interval, 6.0-7.2). There were 496 suits encompassing 48 different causes. Errors in diagnosis comprised 78.0% of the causes. Failure to diagnose lung cancer was by far the most frequent diagnostic error, representing 211 cases or 42.5%. Of the 496 cases, an outcome was known in 417. Sixty-one percent of these were settled in favor of the plaintiff, with a mean payment of $277,230 (95% confidence interval, 226,967-338,614).

CONCLUSIONS:

Errors in diagnosis, and among them failure to diagnose lung cancer, were by far the most common reasons for initiating amalpractice suit against radiologists related to the thorax and its contents.