Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis is the most common reason for malpractice lawsuits, according to Medscape's "Physicians and Malpractice Report 2023."
The report surveyed 3,037 physicians practicing in the United States across 29 specialties.
Here are the most common malpractice allegations against physicians, according to the report:
|
Malpractice |
Percentage |
|
Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis |
35% |
|
Complications from treatment or surgery |
27% |
|
Failure to treat or delayed treatment |
22% |
|
Poor outcome or disease progression |
20% |
|
Wrongful death |
15% |
|
Patient suffered from an abnormal injury |
10% |
|
Errors in medication administration |
3% |
|
Improperly obtained or lack of informed consent |
3% |
|
Failure to follow safety procedures |
2% |
|
Poor documentation of patient instruction and education |
2% |
|
Other |
10% |