Page 10 - OB Risks - Delivering the Goods (Part One)

SVMIC Obstetrics Risks: Delivering the Goods

pertaining to obstetrics, using actual case examples to create

a more meaningful review and enhance understanding and
retention. The course is designed to focus on areas of obstetric

practice where we see the most frequent claims based upon
SVMIC claims data. Part One will examine the factors that

either cause or contribute to malpractice claims or make claims
less defensible, while Part Two will look at specific practice

areas from which the majority of claims arise and provide case
examples of the same.

A Review of the Data

More than one in three physicians have had a medical liability

lawsuit filed against them at some point in their careers, says
one of three trend reports published by the American Medical

Association’s (AMA) Division of Economic and Health Policy
Research. The longer physicians are in practice, the more likely

it is that they will experience a lawsuit.
1

When it comes to the risk of being sued, not all specialties are

equal. OB-GYNs (along with surgeons) are at the greatest risk
of facing medical liability lawsuits. According to the AMA,
2
OB-GYN physicians are 3.5-4 times more likely to be sued
than specialties that are at the lowest risk (psychiatrists and

pediatricians). About 63 percent of OB-GYNs and general
surgeons have been sued, compared with 16 percent of

psychiatrists and 18 percent of pediatricians. However, another
3

1 https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/1-3-physicians-has-been-
sued-age-55-1-2-hit-suit
2 Although this course will focus on the specialty of Obstetrics, most organizations (such as the
AMA) and professional liability insurance companies (such as SVMIC) combine Obstetrics
with Gynecology for purposes of data collection/surveys.
3 Id.

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