title: What patient attributes are associated with thoughts of suing a physician?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To address a neglected research area: the attributes of rehabilitation patients associated with "thoughts of suing a physician" (S-MD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The S-MD statement "I am thinking about suing one of my doctors" was administered to 2264 people, along with the Battery for Health Improvement (BHI 2). Items predictive of S-MD were identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute physical therapy, work hardening programs, chronic pain programs, physician offices, and vocational rehabilitation programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 777 rehabilitation patients and 1487 nonpatient community-dwellers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a multivariate analysis of variance to determine which of the 18 BHI 2 scales predicted the S-MD statement. Items from the scales found to be predictive, plus other variables, were then used in a chi-square analysis that compared people who wished to sue with those who did not. We then used a stepwise regression analysis with significant items from the prior analyses to build a model for predicting a potential S-MD patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest percentage (11.5%) of patients affirming the S-MD statement were those involved in workers' compensation and personal injury litigation, compared with only 1.9% of community-living subjects. Stepwise regression of BHI 2 variables produced a 13-variable model explaining 38.04% of the variance. A logistic regression of demographic variables (eg, education, ethnicity, litigiousness) explained 20% of the variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anger (P<.001), mistrust (P<.001), a focus on compensation (P<.001), addiction (P<.001), severe childhood punishments (P<.001), having attended college (P<.001), and other patient variables were associated with thoughts of suing a physician.
authors.affiliation: Rosomoff Comprehensive Pain and Rehabilitation Center, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fishbain
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Disorbio
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000523:psychology; D006261:Headache / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014942:Workers' Compensation; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology