TY - JOUR
T1 - Trend analysis of emergency department malpractice claims in the Netherlands: a retrospective cohort analysis
AU - Wansink, Luuk
AU - Kuypers, Maybritt I.
AU - Boeije, Tom
AU - van den Brand, Crispijn L.
AU - de Waal, Manon
AU - Holkenborg, Joris
AU - ter Avest, Ewoud
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, several quality improvement projects have been implemented in emergency departments (EDs) in the Netherlands, one of these being the training and deployment of emergency physicians. In this study we aim to perform a trend analysis of ED quality of care in Dutch hospitals, as measured by the incidence of medical malpractice claims. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a multicentre retrospective cohort study of malpractice claims in five Dutch EDs over the period 1998-2014. Incidence risk ratios were calculated to demonstrate any relation of specific quality improvement initiatives with the primary outcome, defined as the number of claims per 10 000 ED visits per year. RESULTS: During the study period, the cumulative number of ED visits increased significantly from 99 145 in 1998 to 162 490 in 2014 (P < 0.01). In total, 228 of 2 348 417 ED visits (0.97 per 10 000) resulted in a malpractice claim. At the same time, the yearly number of ED claims filed decreased with 0.07 (0.03-0.10) per 10 000 each year. The claim rate was higher in the period before emergency physicians were employed in the ED [1.18 (0.98-1.41) claims per 10 000 visits] compared with the period after they were employed [0.81 (0.67-0.97), incidence risk ratio 0.69 (0.53-0.89), P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: Even though the number of ED visits increased significantly over the past two decades, the number of malpractice claims filed after an ED visit decreased. Various quality improvement initiatives, including the training and employment of emergency physicians, may have contributed to the observed decrease in claims.
AB - BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, several quality improvement projects have been implemented in emergency departments (EDs) in the Netherlands, one of these being the training and deployment of emergency physicians. In this study we aim to perform a trend analysis of ED quality of care in Dutch hospitals, as measured by the incidence of medical malpractice claims. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a multicentre retrospective cohort study of malpractice claims in five Dutch EDs over the period 1998-2014. Incidence risk ratios were calculated to demonstrate any relation of specific quality improvement initiatives with the primary outcome, defined as the number of claims per 10 000 ED visits per year. RESULTS: During the study period, the cumulative number of ED visits increased significantly from 99 145 in 1998 to 162 490 in 2014 (P < 0.01). In total, 228 of 2 348 417 ED visits (0.97 per 10 000) resulted in a malpractice claim. At the same time, the yearly number of ED claims filed decreased with 0.07 (0.03-0.10) per 10 000 each year. The claim rate was higher in the period before emergency physicians were employed in the ED [1.18 (0.98-1.41) claims per 10 000 visits] compared with the period after they were employed [0.81 (0.67-0.97), incidence risk ratio 0.69 (0.53-0.89), P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: Even though the number of ED visits increased significantly over the past two decades, the number of malpractice claims filed after an ED visit decreased. Various quality improvement initiatives, including the training and employment of emergency physicians, may have contributed to the observed decrease in claims.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85071644564&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30179895
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000572
DO - https://doi.org/10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000572
M3 - Article
C2 - 30179895
SN - 0969-9546
VL - 26
SP - 350
EP - 355
JO - European Journal of Emergency Medicine
JF - European Journal of Emergency Medicine
IS - 5
ER -