Characterizing malpractice cases involving emergency department advanced practice providers, physicians in training, and attending physicians.
advanced practice providers
malpractice risk
supervision
Journal
Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
ISSN: 1553-2712
Titre abrégé: Acad Emerg Med
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9418450
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Dec 2023
Dec 2023
Historique:
revised:
22
08
2023
received:
07
04
2023
accepted:
23
08
2023
pubmed:
8
9
2023
medline:
8
9
2023
entrez:
8
9
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The objective was to evaluate available characteristics and financial costs of malpractice cases among advanced practice providers (APPs; nurse practitioners [NPs] and physician assistants [PAs]), trainees (medical students, residents, fellows), and attending physicians. This study was a retrospective analysis of claims occurring in the emergency department (ED) from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019, contained in the Candello database. Cases were classified according to the provider type(s) involved: NP, PA, trainee, or cases that did not identify an extender as being substantially involved in the adverse event that resulted in the case ("no extender"). There were 5854 cases identified with a total gross indemnity paid of $1,007,879,346. Of these cases, 193 (3.3%) involved an NP, 513 (8.8%) involved a PA, 535 (9.1%) involved a trainee, and 4568 (78.0%) were no extender. Cases where a trainee was involved account for the highest average gross indemnity paid whereas no-extender cases are the lowest. NP and PA cases differed by contributing factors compared to no-extender cases: clinical judgment (NP 89.1% vs. no extender 76.8%, p < 0.0001; PA 84.6% vs. no extender, p < 0.0001), documentation (NP 23.3% vs. no extender 17.8%, p = 0.0489; PA 25.9% vs. no extender, p < 0.0001), and supervision (NP 22.3% vs. no extender 1.8%, p < 0.0001; PA 25.7% vs. no extender p < 0.0001). Cases involving NPs and PAs had a lower percentage of high-severity cases such as loss of limb or death (NP 45.6% vs. no extender 50.2%, p = 0.0004; PA 48.3% vs. no extender, p < 0.0001). APPs and trainees comprise approximately 21% of malpractice cases and 33% of total gross indemnity paid in this large national ED data set. Understanding differences in characteristics of malpractice claims that occur in emergency care settings can be used to help to mitigate provider risk.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1237-1245Informations de copyright
© 2023 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.
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