Medical professional liability risk among US cardiologists

Background Medical professional liability (MPL) remains a significant burden for physicians, in general, and cardiologists, in particular, as recent research has shown that average MPL defense costs are higher in cardiology than other specialties. Knowledge of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lawsuits against cardiologists may improve quality of care and risk management. Methods We analyzed closed MPL claims of 40,916 physicians and 781 cardiologists insured by a large nationwide insurer for ≥1 policy year between 1991 and 2005. Results The annual percentage of cardiologists facing an MPL claim was 8.6%, compared with 7.4% among physicians overall ( P P Conclusions Rates of malpractice lawsuits are higher among cardiologists than physicians overall. A substantial portion of claims are noncardiovascular in nature.