Facing the malpractice crisis: academic physicians' willingness to accept quick fix solutions

We sought to determine the willingness of academic physicians to accept strategies to contain institutional malpractice costs.

We surveyed all 270 Department of Medicine physicians at a large academic center. Respondents were asked about their knowledge regarding malpractice premiums, willingness to reduce patient-care activities and accept decreases in compensation.

The response rate was 80%. Respondents estimated the annual increase in malpractice premiums from 2004 to 2005 to be 29%. The true increase was 28% (P = 0.55). Almost all opposed eliminating patient care (95%) or providing patient care every other year at double effort and withdrawing from patient care on alternate years (97%). Seventy percent would limit their clinical procedures. Most physicians opposed salary reduction (97%) or decreases in fringe benefits (99%).

Few academic physicians are willing to limit patient care or accept decreases in compensation to recoup institutional malpractice costs.