Which is feared more: harm to the ego or financial peril? A survey of anesthesiologists' attitudes about medical malpractice.

This article reports the results of a study of anesthesiologists to assess their concerns regarding medical malpractice liability risk. Specifically, it explored whether their fears stem more from being named as a party to a suit or from the financial impact of damage awards. According to the respondents, their reputation among patients and colleagues is of greater concern than the financial impact of a malpractice suit. Forty-six percent of the 149 respondents reported a constant fear of malpractice risk; 43% were concerned about their reputation among colleagues and 57% feared their reputation would be compromised among patients. A large majority voiced concern about potential inclusion in the National Practitioner Data Bank (83%) and their rankings on online physician-grading sites (85%). Forty-one percent said financial consequences were a concern, and 54% indicated that obtaining affordable liability coverage was an issue.