Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Chronic Pain Malpractice Claims Are Rising

I've been in more than a few meetings with payers discussing the problems with opioids when someone wonders aloud, "Why aren't some of these patients suing their doctors?"

Turns out, they are doing just that... in increasing numbers.

A study of malpractice claims over the last 30 years presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists concludes that the number of claims related to chronic pain management is increasing far out of proportion to the growth in the number of pain management practitioners.  Further, the analysis shows the prescription medications are playing a significant role.

As a proportion of anesthesia malpractice claims, those claims related to pain management rose from 3% in 1980 to 18% in 2012.  Medication management claims increased from 2% to 17% of anesthesiology malpractice claims.

Perhaps more alarming: in the 1980s, death was the cited reason for a claim 6% of the time and severe injury for another 6% (the rest of the claims related to temporary and/or minor injuries).  After 2000, death was cited in 19% of claims and severe injury in 28%.  That's nearly half of all chronic pain malpractice claims.

Not only are chronic pain malpractice claims becoming more frequent, but the resulting injuries are becoming much more severe.

What to do?

I'm not a lawyer, but it strikes me that payers should probably be having conversations about provider network strategy and sticky things like subrogation, right?  Where does work comp leave off and med mal pick up?  When a payer has done all they can legally do to provide safe care for an injured worker and the doctor continues to prescribe absurd levels of opioids... what are the options when that injured worker doesn't wake up one morning?

Michael
On Twitter @PRIUM1

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