Caring For Patients In A Malpractice Crisis: Physician Satisfaction and Quality Of Care,” is part of a special section published in “Health Affairs” containing several other articles showing the complexity of the medical malpractice crisis. According to the American Medical Association, about two-thirds of U.S. states are now in the midst of a malpractice crisis or showing signs of trouble.
Pennsylvania, where several insurers have left the market and premiums for coverage through the remaining insurers have increased dramatically. To investigate the effects of the malpractice crisis on patient care, the authors conducted a series of interviews with representatives from Pennsylvania physician groups, hospitals, and insurers, followed by a mail survey of 824 Pennsylvania physicians in high-risk specialties (emergency medicine physicians, general surgeons, neurosurgeons, OB/GYNs, orthopedic surgeons, and radiologists).
EY FINDINGSPervasive Job Dissatisfaction Nearly 40 percent of the Pennsylvania high-risk specialists surveyed in 2003 were dissatisfied with the practice of medicine. OB/GYNs were most likely to report dissatisfaction. Career satisfaction among Pennsylvania high-risk specialists was much lower than a 1999 national sample39 percent compared to 19 percent.
Responses to 'Medical Malpractice Crisis Affecting Patient Care - Mixture of Financial, Market Pressures Fray Physician - Patient Relationship and Impact Health Care Quality'