Caring For Patients In A Malpractice Crisis: Physician Satisfaction And Quality Of Care

TLDR

Malpractice reform rhetoric is intense, yet it may not reflect grassroots views, and physicians’ perceptions—shaping practice behavior and patient relationships—are crucial. The study aimed to determine whether the liability crisis has significantly reduced physicians’ professional satisfaction. The authors surveyed specialist physicians in Pennsylvania to assess this impact. Physicians in high‑liability settings reported widespread discontent, further intensified by financial and administrative burdens.

Abstract

The rhetoric of malpractice reform is at fever pitch, but political advocacy does not necessarily reflect grassroots opinion. To determine whether the ongoing liability crisis has greatly reduced physicians' professional satisfaction, we surveyed specialist physicians in Pennsylvania. We found widespread discontent among physicians practicing in high-liability environments, which seems to be compounded by other financial and administrative pressures. Opinion alone should not determine public policy, but physicians' perceptions matter for two reasons. First, perceptions influence behavior with respect to practice environment and clinical decision making. Second, perceptions influence the physician-patient relationship and the interpersonal quality of care.