title: Medical professional liability claims for Mohs micrographic surgery from 1989 to 2011.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies specifically address lawsuits involving Mohs surgery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To better characterize the types of medical professional liability claims involving Mohs surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective legal document review of an online national database. Any legal proceeding involving the search words Mohs and cancer was included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of medical professional liability claims involving Mohs surgery for factors including year of litigation, location, physician specialty, injury sustained, cause of legal action, and verdict.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two cases were identified, which occurred from 1989 to 2011. Of the cases identified, 26 involved non-Mohs surgeons as the primary defendant, mostly due to a delay of or failure in diagnosis (n = 16), cosmetic outcome issues (n = 8), lack of informed consent (n = 7), and a delay of or failure in referral to a Mohs surgeon (n = 6). Common causes for litigation against Mohs surgeons as the primary defendant (n = 16) were lack of proper informed consent (n = 5) and cosmetic outcome issues (n = 4). Only 1 case against a Mohs surgeon was judged for the plaintiff.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common lawsuits pertaining to Mohs surgery list non-Mohs surgeons as the primary defendants. Closer coordination between non-Mohs surgeons and Mohs surgeons may help minimize risk to both parties and lead to better patient care. Small sample size is the primary limitation, in part owing to exclusion of out-of-court settlements from the database.
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington.
authors: Logan S
authors: LS
authors: D'Souza
authors: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston4Division of Dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).
authors: H Ray
authors: HR
authors: Jalian
authors: Paul Hastings LLC, New York, New York.
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Jalian
authors: Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors: Murad
authors: M
authors: Alam
authors: Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis, Sacramento.
authors: Daniel B
authors: DB
authors: Eisen
authors: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
authors: Mathew M
authors: MM
authors: Avram
authors: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston8Connecticut Skin Institute, Stamford.
authors: Omar A
authors: OA
authors: Ibrahimi
mesh_terms: D016208:Databases, Factual; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015580:Mohs Surgery / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States