Since CMS has stopped paying for "never events," the frequency of hospital liability claims may increase, according to a September report published by the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Aon Global Risk Consulting.
One out of every six medical malpractice claims against hospitals is the result of a hospital-acquired infection, injury, pressure ulcer or object left in surgery, according to the study based on data from more than 1,200 healthcare facilities.
Because of the publicity surrounding never events, patients are now more likely to be aware that what was once considered an unfortunate event is actually recognized by the federal government as a serious medical error that should not have happened, says the study’s author, Greg Larcher, director and actuary of Aon Global Risk Consulting in Columbia, Md. Mandatory reporting of never events will be a boon for lawyers. "Plaintiffs’ attorneys are going to have an angle for contacting the patients," says Mr. Larcher.
The annual survey of hospital malpractice reports that the average paid claim for a pressure ulcer was $145,000; for an object left in surgery, it was $107,000; for an injury, it was $48,000; and for an infection the average claim was $46,000.
The frequency of malpractice claims against hospitals has remained static for the last four years. The cost has been rising about 3 percent per year. In 2009, the liability cost will be $3,320 per occupied bed, according to the study.
To learn more about avoiding pressure injuries, read "4 Ways to Reduce Pressure Injuries" in the May issue of Outpatient Surgery Magazine.
—Kent Steinriede
