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Patient Complaints and Malpractice Events Involving Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Physicians
Matthew W Parry1, Yagiz Ozdag, Daniel S Hayes
1From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Danville, PA.
Background:
Patient complaints and malpractice events can have negative vocational effects on sports or medicine physicians. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the rate of patient complaints and malpractice events among a population of sports medicine patients and physicians. We also aimed to identify risk factors for these events.
Methods:
In this single-center retrospective study, all adult patient complaints and malpractice events between January 2012 and December 2022 within a sports medicine division were analyzed. Not all physicians practiced continuously during the study period. Baseline demographics were recorded for all patients seen during the study period and all physicians (both surgical and nonsurgical) employed during this period. Complaints were categorized according to the Patient Report Analysis System, and the reasons for the malpractice events were analyzed. The patient report rate (total patient complaints/total unique patients seen) and the malpractice event rates (total malpractice events/total unique patients seen) were calculated. Bonferroni-corrected statistical comparisons were made between patients with and without complaints.
Results:
A total of 74,412 unique patients were seen by 27 sports medicine physicians. The patient report and malpractice event rates were 0.4% and 0.04%, respectively. Communication issues were the most common reason for patient complaints, followed by negative treatment outcomes. Six of 32 malpractice events (19%) resulted in financial settlements. Physicians with >10 years of experience were associated with higher rates of patient complaints, and we observed a moderate correlation between report and malpractice rates.
Discussion:
The average patient report and malpractice rates observed in our sports medicine division were 0.4% and 0.04%, respectively. A moderate correlation exists between report and malpractice rates. Physicians with >10 years of experience were associated with higher rates of patient complaints. Communication issues remain the most frequent source of complaints.
Level Of Evidence:
Level III-Prognostic.
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