Failure to diagnose or delay a diagnosis for a patient is the most common reason physicians face malpractice allegations, according to Medscape's 2023 "Physicians and Malpractice Report," published Oct. 26.
The most common malpractice allegations faced by physicians:
Failure to diagnose or a delay in diagnosis: 35%
Complications from treatment or surgery: 27%
Failure to treat or delayed treatment: 22%
Poor outcome or disease progression: 20%
Wrongful death: 15%
Patient suffered an abnormal injury: 10%
Errors in medication administration: 3%
Improperly obtained or lack of informed consent: 3%
Failure to follow safety procedures: 2%
Poor documentation of patient instruction and education: 2%