Professional liability claims and Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists members: Myth versus reality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to survey members of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists about professional liability claims. A survey was mailed to Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists members regarding medical liability experience. Of the 897 surveys mailed, 73% were completed. The responding 658 clinicians had been in practice for 17,136 years and had 1507 closed claims. The respondents had a claim every 11 years of practice and a trial every 69 years. Matched for years of practice, a case control comparison indicated that the litigation is significantly lower for female physicians (1.5 +/- 1.8) than for male physicians (2.2 +/- 2.0; P = .019) although the mean cases that were dropped or dismissed were higher for men (1.3 +/- 1.7 vs 0.8 +/- 1.4; P = .022). However, the mean number of trials, defense trial verdicts, and the settlement amounts were similar for both genders. We found that professional liability claims are uncommon and that the gender of the obstetrician-gynecologist influences the litigation profile.