A recent study by the RAND Institute of Civil Justice and RAND Health has ranked physician specialties based on medical malpractice risk involved.
To understand malpractice risk by specialty, researchers analyzed data from 1991 to 2005 for nearly 41,000 physicians covered by a large nationwide liability insurer. Across specialties, 7.4 percent of physicians annually had a medical malpractice claim brought against them.
According to the study, the following specialties have the highest percentage of physicians with a malpractice claim annually, beginning with the highest risk specialty.
1. Neurosurgery – 19 percent
2. Thoracic-cardiovascular surgery – 19 percent
3. General surgery – 15 percent
4. Orthopedic surgery – 14 percent
5. Plastic surgery – 12 percent
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