What pediatricians should know about child-related malpractice payments in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine child-related National Practitioner Data Bank data.


METHODS
Data were obtained from the National Practitioner Data Bank.


RESULTS
the period from February 1, 2004, through December 31, 2005, a total of 30195 malpractice payments were made on behalf of practitioners in the United States; 14% of those payments (4107 of 30,195 payments) were child related. During the period analyzed, $1.73 billion were paid for malpractice cases involving children. More than 95% of all payments were the result of settlements and only approximately 5% the result of judgments. The average child-related malpractice payment was significantly greater than an adult-related malpractice payment ($422,000 vs $247,000); however, child-related malpractice payments were only one half as likely to occur, compared with adult-related malpractice payments. Significant geographic variability was found in the numbers and sizes of child-related malpractice payments. Failure to diagnose was the leading reason for child-related payments (18%), followed by improper performance (9%), delay in diagnosis (9%), and improper management (6%). Finally, we found that approximately 40% of all malpractice awards were the result of surgical or obstetrical issues.


CONCLUSIONS
Practicing pediatricians should be aware of the existence of a mandatory electronic depository that documents all malpractice settlements and judgments involving practitioners.
Kain
Zeev N
ZN
Center for the Advancement of Perioperative Health and Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. kain@biomed.med.yale.edu
Caldwell-Andrews
Alison A
AA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014481:United States