Gynaecology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Gynaecology, including details on pap smears, laparoscopy, ultrasound, hysteroscopy.

Malpractice premiums and physicians' income: perceptions of a crisis conflict with empirical evidence.

Rodwin MA, Chang HJ, Clausen J

Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mrodwin@suffolk.edu

The conventional wisdom is that malpractice premiums have steadily risen and now constitute a crisis for medical practice. The best available data suggest otherwise. American Medical Association (AMA) surveys of self-employed physicians from 1970 to 2000 indicate that premiums rose until 1986, then declined until 1996, rose thereafter, but were lower in 2000 than in 1986. Other items represented a much greater share of total practice expenses in 1970 yet increased rapidly until 1996 and moderately thereafter, while spending on premiums fell during 1986-2000. National trends were reflected with variations in obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, and anesthesiology and in nine regions surveyed.

Published 10 May 2006 in Health Aff (Millwood), 25(3): 750-8.
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