title: Orthopedic medical malpractice: an attorney's perspective.
abstract: Orthopedic surgeons are trained to manage problems involving the musculoskeletal system. It would be helpful to identify certain procedures, anatomic areas, or issues related to the physician-patient relationship that could potentially lead to a malpractice lawsuit. Once the problems are identified, steps toward continuing education and physician awareness could be initiated. In this study, we performed a randomized nationwide survey of medical malpractice attorneys to evoke their opinion on these issues. We found that the lumbar spine was the most common anatomic area involved in orthopedic medical malpractice cases, and a physician appearing rushed and uninterested is most likely to be the subject of a lawsuit where a poor physician-patient relationship was a contributing factor. Educational and professional programs are needed to increase the awareness and knowledge of orthopedic malpractice risks, and also to identify potentially preventable problems leading to malpractice litigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Saint Luke's Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Klimo
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Daum
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Brinker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States