Characteristics of Medical Malpractice Litigation in Thailand: Cases from Government‐Run Hospitals

Abstract

Current malpractice policy debates have been contentious in Thailand for years. There is a lack of a national database for malpractice claims to provide comprehensive information to policymakers; therefore, the development of policy related to malpractice has been prolonged. This study uses the best available data to create a database and describe characteristics of medical malpractice cases in Thailand during 1996–2016. Like many countries, cases related to pregnancy and childbirth are the most common cause of malpractice lawsuits. Unlike other countries, general practice physicians in Thailand are sued the most. The proportions of wrongful death claims were higher in community hospitals, among physician interns, and on weekends. Moreover, a no‐fault provision appears to help settling claims out of court. To develop a success policy, Thailand needs to establish a national database for malpractice claims. Furthermore, expanding the no‐fault provision to all types of health insurance could be a desirable policy.

Socio-Demographic, Professional and Institutional Characteristics That Make Romanian Doctors More Prone to Malpractice Complaints

“…The present study indicates that family medicine is one of the specialties in which doctors receive the fewest complaints, which is partly consistent with the results obtained in a previous study [7]. Although there are studies in the literature that place a generally high risk for family medicine [48,49], the fact that this specialty received fewer complaints in the present and the previous studies is not a situation limited to Romania, as there are other authors who have obtained similar results [38]. What is, however, particular for Romania is the general context in which patients often avoid using the services of the family doctor, instead requesting in excess the emergency services-either by calling the unique emergency number 112, which involves driving an ambulance at the patient's home, or by presenting directly to the emergency unit for conditions that could be resolved by the family doctor [50].…”

The Intra-Hospital Medical Dispute Burden and Capacities: A Nationwide Survey in Taiwan

“…When the negotiation breaks down, litigation is the last resort due to its lengthy, costly, and frustrating process [4]. For similar reasons, and considering the adverse impact [3][4][5] of antagonism [3,6,7] between patients and the medical parties during lawsuits, experts strongly advocate for system and regulation reforms, such as no-fault liability or compensation, a dual-track system [3,8,9], and alternative dispute resolutions (ADRs). ADRs, mediation, or communication-andresolution programs [10][11][12] aim to achieve a win-win outcome.…”