title: Litigation trends and costs in otorhinolaryngology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Litigation in surgery is increasing and liabilities are becoming unsustainable. This study aimed to analyse trends in claims, and identify areas for potential risk reduction, improved patient safety and a reduction in the number, and cost, of future claims.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten years of retrospective data on claims in otorhinolaryngology (2003-2013) were obtained from the National Health Service Litigation Authority via a Freedom of Information request. Data were re-entered into a spreadsheet and coded for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1031 claims were identified; of these, 604 were successful and 427 were unsuccessful. Successful claims cost a total of £41 000 000 (mean, £68 000). The most common areas for successful claims were: failure or delay in diagnosis (137 cases), intra-operative problems (116 cases), failure or delay in treatment (66 cases), failure to warn - informed consent issue (54 cases), and inappropriate treatment (47 cases).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over half of the claims in ENT relate to the five most common areas of liability. Recent policy changes by the National Health Service Litigation Authority, over the level of information divulged, limits our learning from claims.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology,City Hospital,Birmingham,UK.
authors: C W
authors: CW
authors: Metcalfe
authors: Department of Otolaryngology,City Hospital,Birmingham,UK.
authors: S J
authors: SJ
authors: Muzaffar
authors: Department of Otolaryngology,Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham,UK.
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Coulson
mesh_terms: D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007603:Jurisprudence; D016365:Liability, Legal / Q000191:economics*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Access To Information; Jurisprudence; Otolaryngology