There is mostly medical malpractice occurs when a hospital or health-care provider through negligent acts or omission results in an injury to a patient. More than half of otolaryngologists have faced a minimum of 1 claim, with rhinology being the most litigated subspecialty. This study aims to analyze medical litigation trends in Rhinology in the United States.
The Westlaw database was reviewed for 17 years starting from 2000. Data were compiled on the demographics of the plaintiffs, procedures, nature of damages, legal allegations, and the use of expert witnesses, physician demographics/practice characteristics, verdicts, indemnities, and county of the case.
125 cases were obtained during the collection and were reviewed for the initial screening. 75 cases in total were selected to be included in the study that met inclusion criteria. The majority of cases went to trial over the settlement and were found in the Northeast region of the United States. The improper performance and failure to follow the standard of care were the most commonly cited legal allegations. When an expert witness was used at trial, the verdict statistically favored the defendant.
The study concluded through its findings that the importance of meticulous surgical techniques and thorough preoperative evaluations.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892420920479
