Coverys conducted a survey of 2,579 surgery-related closed malpractice claims from 2014 to 2018 to examine trends and data-driven insights for the healthcare industry.
Five key points for orthopedic surgeons:
1. Orthopedic surgery was the second most common specialty to trigger medical malpractice claims, comprising 17 percent of the claims. Neurosurgery was No. 3 with 8 percent of the claims. General surgery was No. 1 with 22 percent of the claims.
2. Surgeon performance allegations appeared in 85 percent of the orthopedic surgery claims, higher than the average of 78 percent across all specialties.
3. Issues with technical skills were cited in 46 percent of the claims for orthopedic surgeons, which was higher than the other top two specialties—general surgery with 43 percent and neurosurgery with 39 percent.
4. Overall, 4 percent of the claims were related to arguably unnecessary procedures.
5. Clinical judgement was cited in 15 percent of the orthopedic surgery claims, while communication was cited in 10 percent.