Psychologic effects of poor outcome and professional liability actions on physicians.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about the psychologic effects on obstetricians and gynecologists of adverse maternal or fetal outcome and malpractice claims.


METHODS
An anonymous survey regarding the psychologic effects of professional liability claims, as measured by 19 items which were used to create four composites rated on a 5-point scale, was mailed to the members of the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.


RESULTS
Among respondents, 78% had at least one malpractice claim, and 9% experienced a patient death, 12% a fetal demise, and 21% neonatal neurologic damage. In general, professional liability claims had significant effects on psychologic trauma (P < 0.001), shame/doubt (P < 0.005), and active coping (P < 0.05), but not on job stress, whereas patient death, but not fetal death or neonatal neurologic injury, had significant effects on all 4 composite variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Physicians experience psychologic trauma influenced by patient death and professional liability actions.
McAninch
Cecile B
CB
Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, USA.
Chauhan
Suneet P
SP
Magann
Everett F
EF
Chauhan
Vidya B
VB
Brown
Jacob A
JA
Morrison
John C
JC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003625:Data Collection; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D008318:Malpractice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological