The current medical liability insurance crisis: detailed findings from two ACR surveys in 2003 and 2004.
OBJECTIVE
To describe radiologists' experiences and concerns with respect to the professional liability insurance crisis.


METHODS
Data were obtained from two sources: the nationally representative 2003 ACR Survey of Radiologists and the specially undertaken 2004 ACR Malpractice Survey, a two-phase e-mail survey of ACR members. The response rate for the 2003 survey was 63%. For the two phases of the 2004 survey, response rates were low, 9% and 29%, respectively, meaning that responses probably were disproportionately from radiologists especially concerned about malpractice issues. Responses from the 2003 survey were weighted to make data representative of all radiologists in the United States. Data from the 2004 e-mail survey are not representative of all radiologists or of all ACR members.


RESULTS
On the 2003 survey, 43% of radiologists said that they were less satisfied with their profession than 5 years earlier, and 70% of these cited the medicolegal climate as a major reason. This was the most commonly cited major reason for decreased satisfaction. The medicolegal climate was somewhat less important to breast imaging specialists than to other radiologists. On the 2004 survey, 65% of radiologists reported malpractice premium increases of 25% or more in the past 3 years, and 14% reported that they had stopped performing some types of studies, predominantly mammography, because of malpractice concerns. Nationally, median premiums were $20,000 annually, but the median was $30,000 or more in five states, including four very populous states.


CONCLUSIONS
Malpractice liability and rising premiums are a major concern of radiologists and have led some radiologists to cease interpreting mammograms.
Cypel
Yasmin S
YS
Research Department, American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia 20191, USA.
Sunshine
Jonathan H
JH
Ellenbogen
Paul H
PH
D003675:Defensive Medicine; D005249:Fees and Charges / Q000639:trends; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007351:Insurance, Liability / Q000191:economics*; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics*; D008327:Mammography / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D011871:Radiology / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012955:Societies, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States