Compared to other specialists, gastroenterologists are less commonly defendants in medical malpractice cases, according to a blog post by law firm Miller & Zois.
Here are five things to know:
1. According to a 2022 study from the American Medical Association, gastroenterology is a low-risk specialty. Of the claims analyzed, only 1% of all paid medical malpractice claims included were attributed to gastroenterologists.
2. This is also evidenced by the speciality's relatively low malpractice insurance rates, the post added.
3. There are some legal precedents of gastroenterologists being sued for medical negligence for colonoscopy injuries such as bowel or colon perforation and splenic rupture, the post said.
4. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography also can result in malpractice claims, the report added. The diagnostic procedure is used to find and treat conditions involving the bile duct, liver, gallbladder and pancreatic duct.
5. According to a recent Medscape report, the most frequent malpractice-related allegation was failure to diagnose or delayed diagnoses. Other common allegations cited were treatment complications, failure to treat or delayed treatment, poor outcome and wrongful death.