Incidence of and risk factors for medical malpractice lawsuits among Mohs surgeons.
BACKGROUND
Despite rising medical malpractice costs, little is known about the factors associated with claims filed against Mohs surgeons.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to define the scope of medical malpractice claims filed against Mohs surgeons and to identify salient factors associated with the filing and disposition of those claims.


METHODS
A comprehensive survey was mailed to 599 physicians with US addresses listed in the 2003 directory of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology.


RESULTS
Of the 300 completed surveys returned, 33 (11%) reported ever having been sued. Physicians who practiced Mohs surgery for a longer period of time were more likely to have been sued for malpractice. Physicians reported the wrong site and functional outcome as the most frequent causes of malpractice lawsuits.
Perlis
Clifford S
CS
Department of Dermatology, Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA. perlis@stanfordalumni.org
Campbell
Ross M
RM
Perlis
Roy H
RH
Malik
Mohsin
M
Dufresne
Raymond G
RG
D003880:Dermatology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States