About 31% of U.S. physicians have received a medical liability claim during their careers, though the percentage of physicians reporting they had been sued in the previous year dipped slightly during the course of the pandemic, according to recently shared American Medical Association (AMA) survey data, reports Fierce Healthcare.
The group’s poll suggests physicians’ short-term risk of having a claim filed against them is “relatively low” but increases over time.
Of note, only 9.5% of physicians under the age of 40 said they have ever been sued as opposed to 46.8% of those 55 and older, according to the AMA. The younger cohort also reported receiving 11 career claims per 100 responding physicians, whereas the older group reported 100 career claims per 100 responding physicians, AMA found.
“It seems to be just a matter of time, or more specifically, of longer exposure before a physician is sued,” wrote José R. Guardado, a senior economist for the AMA. Read more.
