title: Analysis of obstetrics and gynecology professional liability claims in Catalonia, Spain (1986-2010).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify relevant factors involved in obstetrics and gynecology (OG) professional liability claims to help archive better management of risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of 885 OG claims opened between 1986 and 2010, with the identification of the most common events leading to a claim, the economical and juridical characteristics of the claims, as well as the relevant trends over the study period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most claims related to obstetrics. Labor, delivery and its complications accounted for 33.1% of the claims; 12.77% related specifically to cesarean. Oncological diseases, fetus death during labor and delivery, neurologically impaired infant and histerectomy-related problems were the most frequently claimed events. Most cases ended up without an indemnity payment and 37.7% of closed files were solved by an out-of-court procedure. Average payment was higher for the obstetric procedures than for those concerning gynecology cases. The proportion of claims relating to obstetrics increased during the study period, as well as the average payment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OG is at high-risk for malpractice claims, but compensation awards are not frequent. However, particular events, such as retained foreign objects, tubal ligation, ultrasound diagnosis or neurologically impaired newborns, deserve special attention regarding medico-legal issues.
authors.affiliation: Professional Liability Department, Barcelona's Official College of Physicians, Passeig Bonanova, 47, 08017 Barcelona, Spain. elgomezduran@gmail.com
authors.forename: Esperanza L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gómez-Durán
authors.forename: Joan Antoni
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mulà-Rosías
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lailla-Vicens
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benet-Travé
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arimany-Manso
mesh_terms: D035881:Compensation and Redress / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal / Q000191:economics; D008318:Malpractice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D013030:Spain