title: Relationship between malpractice claims and medical care quality.
abstract: The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between medical malpractice claims and medical care quality in Taiwan. The Delphi technique with an expert panel was used to determine the relationship between malpractice and medical quality. A total of 371 medical malpractice claims were analyzed. Main measures included the rate and strength of malpractice cases associated with quality and the identification of the quality factors influencing the occurrence of malpractice. Results showed that malpractice claims were associated with internal medicine cases, surgery cases, pediatric cases, obstetricc and gynecological cases, physicians' professional competence, nonacceptable outcomes, complications, and poor communication. Concludes that medical malpractice cases could be avoided by increasing physicians' professional knowledge, practical skills, and communication.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Health Services Management, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chen
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Pei-Tseng
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Yi-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chiang
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003697:Delphi Technique; D013502:General Surgery / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D006176:Gynecology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan