Medical Malpractice Trends Amongst Virginia Plastic Surgeons
Graduate Level
Doctoral
Graduate Program/Concentration
Eastern Virginia Medical school - Medicine (MD)
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Like other surgical specialties, plastic surgeons tend to face a high rate of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is a significant concern for practicing physicians as lawsuits cost involved parties time and money and potentially jeopardize the physician’s career. Currently, minimal research exists investigating the most common medical malpractice charges against plastic surgeons. Thus, medical malpractice charges were investigated for board-certified plastic surgeons practicing in Virginia. Collected data included the action taken against the physician and whether a claim was paid. Out of the 190 total board-certified plastic surgeons in Virginia, 9 (4.7%) had convictions, 10 (5.3%) had paid claims, and 4 (2.1%) had both convictions and paid claims. The most common reasons for malpractice charges were postoperative complications, authorizing subordinates to provide out-of-scope care, and inappropriate handling and prescription of drugs, specifically narcotics. Physicians in Virginia can minimize their risk of malpractice by ensuring practitioners operate within the scope of their role and responsibly managing the prescription and handling of controlled substances.
Keywords
Medical malpractice, plastic surgeons, plastic surgery
Medical Malpractice Trends Amongst Virginia Plastic Surgeons
Like other surgical specialties, plastic surgeons tend to face a high rate of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice is a significant concern for practicing physicians as lawsuits cost involved parties time and money and potentially jeopardize the physician’s career. Currently, minimal research exists investigating the most common medical malpractice charges against plastic surgeons. Thus, medical malpractice charges were investigated for board-certified plastic surgeons practicing in Virginia. Collected data included the action taken against the physician and whether a claim was paid. Out of the 190 total board-certified plastic surgeons in Virginia, 9 (4.7%) had convictions, 10 (5.3%) had paid claims, and 4 (2.1%) had both convictions and paid claims. The most common reasons for malpractice charges were postoperative complications, authorizing subordinates to provide out-of-scope care, and inappropriate handling and prescription of drugs, specifically narcotics. Physicians in Virginia can minimize their risk of malpractice by ensuring practitioners operate within the scope of their role and responsibly managing the prescription and handling of controlled substances.