Comparison of diagnosis-related malpractice allegations in the inpatient vs outpatient setting (1986*–2010)
| Attribute | Inpatient | Outpatient | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n=9102) | (n=20081) | ||
| Attributable fraction of all claims | 31.2% | 68.8% | <0.001 |
| Attributable fraction of all claims payments | 32.4% | 67.6% | <0.001 |
| Mean per-claim payment (SD) | $406,365 ($569,461) | $384851 ($489797) | 0.001 |
| Median per-claim payment (IQR) | $241410 ($93597–$509945) | $232050 ($86275–$509850) | 0.002 |
| Proportion of claims resulting in disability | 32.8% | 34.8% | 0.001 |
| Proportion of claims resulting in death | 48.4% | 36.9% | <0.001 |
| Proportion of claims resulting in disability or death | 81.3% | 71.7% | <0.001 |
*Data on setting are available in the NPDB only for claims filed after 31 January 2004. This table does not include claims filed before 2004, so claims paid during the 1980s and 1990s are under-represented in these analyses.
NPDB, National Practitioner Data Bank; $, US$.