The Relationship Between Patient Safety Indicators and Medical Malpractice

The American Journal of Health Economics (AJHE) recently published a study that examined the relationship between the use of Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) and the risk of medical malpractice. This study was conducted by The American Society of Health Economics (ASHE) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study looked at the relationship between hospital adverse advents and malpractice claims rates in Florida and Texas. The 17 PSIs used for the study were developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). These PSIs are measures that were designed to screen for preventable adverse events in general acute care hospitals. Similar results were obtained in both states, demonstrating a strong association between adverse patient safety events and paid medical malpractice claims.

MLMIC supports the efforts made by hospitals and providers to commit time and effort to the development and implementation of strategies that reduce the potential for adverse patient safety events. The use of PSIs provides a useful tool for facilities to examine preventable causes of potential patient injury and offers an opportunity to improve the quality of patient care and reduce the exposure to claims of malpractice.

Click here to read “The Association Between Patient Safety Indicators and Medical Malpractice Risk: Evidence from Florida and Texas.”