Medical malpractice liability and its consequences.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Law
• Professional Well-being

Background:

• Urology is a medium-risk specialty for medical professional liability claims.
• Such claims are recognized as stressful experiences with significant repercussions for healthcare professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of medical professional liability claims on Spanish urologists.
• To understand the psychological and professional consequences faced by urologists after receiving a claim.

Main Methods:

• A survey on medical professional liability in urology was designed and approved by the Spanish Association of Urology and the Urological Research Foundation.
• The questionnaire was administered using the PIEM online tool, receiving 202 responses (11.6% response rate).

Main Results:

• 25.24% of surveyed urologists reported having faced a claim.
• 88% experienced mood changes, with 100% reporting this in criminal proceedings.
• 67.9% noted an affected doctor-patient relationship, 71.4% increased defensive medicine, and 6.7% considered leaving the profession.

Conclusions:

• Medical professional liability claims are highly stressful, potentially leading to the 'second victim' phenomenon or 'clinical judicial syndrome'.
• Findings are comparable to US-based studies, highlighting the universal nature of these challenges.
• Development of targeted training and support programs is crucial to address the consequences of these claims for urologists.