Massachusetts Risk Management Survey (MaRMS) of teaching hospital physicians

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management
• Physician Training

Background:

• Risk management is crucial in healthcare to mitigate errors and improve patient safety.
• Assessing physician knowledge in risk management is essential for identifying training needs and enhancing practice.
• Previous studies have highlighted variations in risk management awareness among different physician groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the risk management knowledge of staff physicians and house officers in Massachusetts teaching hospitals.
• To identify factors influencing risk management knowledge among physicians.
• To understand physicians' perceptions regarding defensive medicine and malpractice concerns.

Main Methods:

• A survey-based study was conducted among staff physicians and postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and PGY3 house officers at Massachusetts teaching hospitals.
• Data collected included the percentage of correctly answered questions on risk management topics.
• Comparisons were made between the knowledge scores of staff physicians and house officers, as well as within different physician subgroups.

Main Results:

• Staff physicians achieved a higher average score (87%) in risk management knowledge compared to house officers (81%).
• No significant differences in scores were observed among staff physicians based on their specialty, age, or years in practice.
• Approximately 40% of physicians admitted ordering extra tests due to malpractice concerns, with higher rates reported in obstetrics-gynecology and emergency medicine.

Conclusions:

• Staff physicians in the surveyed population possess adequate knowledge of risk management principles.
• Enhancing risk management education for house officers is recommended to improve their knowledge base.
• Physicians may overestimate the extent of "defense medicine" practices among their peers, influenced by their perceptions of malpractice concerns.