Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The Consequences of Negligence Claims in Arterial Surgery - An Analysis of Two Periods with an Increasing Use of Endovascular Treatment

Bergqvist, David ; Hafström, Larsolof and Gustafson, Pelle LU (2019) In European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery 58(5). p.771-776
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Patient treatment within the Swedish medical service system can claim negligence injuries to the malpractice insurance review board and request financial compensation. The aim of this paper was to analyse the consequences of a negligence claim after arterial surgery between two periods with increasing use of endovascular treatment.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of the arterial surgery negligence claims from two three year periods 2005-2007 (Period A) and 2012-2014 (Period B) from the County Council's Mutual Insurance Company. The analysis was restricted to aortic, carotid, and lower limb arterial diseases. The magnitude of surgery for vascular diseases was obtained from the Swedish vascular register... (More)

OBJECTIVES: Patient treatment within the Swedish medical service system can claim negligence injuries to the malpractice insurance review board and request financial compensation. The aim of this paper was to analyse the consequences of a negligence claim after arterial surgery between two periods with increasing use of endovascular treatment.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of the arterial surgery negligence claims from two three year periods 2005-2007 (Period A) and 2012-2014 (Period B) from the County Council's Mutual Insurance Company. The analysis was restricted to aortic, carotid, and lower limb arterial diseases. The magnitude of surgery for vascular diseases was obtained from the Swedish vascular register (Swedvasc).

RESULTS: The number of patients undergoing arterial procedures increased from 16 628 to 20 709 (p = .01). There was an increase of 54% in the number of negligence claims between the periods. In Period A, the number of compensated claims was 22 out of 83 (29%) and in Period B 60 out of 151 (41%) (p = .06). Patients treated for aortic disorders and peripheral arterial surgery received compensation with increasing frequency whereas carotid diseases decreased. Claimants treated for aortic disorders were compensated in four out of 23 (17%) and 21 out of 54 (39%) in the two periods (p = .07), and after lower limb arterial surgery in six out of 34 (18%) and in 24 out of 71 (34%) (p = .09). After carotid surgery the corresponding figures were 12 out of 26 (46%) and 14 out of 25 (46%) (p = .48). The increasing use of endovascular procedures (but not in carotid artery surgery) did not seem to influence the pattern of negligence claims.

CONCLUSIONS: Between the two three year periods there has been an increase in negligence claims but not in compensated ones. The increased use of endovascular procedures has not influenced the pattern of compensated negligence claims.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aortic Diseases/economics, Arterial Occlusive Diseases/economics, Compensation and Redress/legislation & jurisprudence, Endovascular Procedures/adverse effects, Humans, Insurance Claim Review/statistics & numerical data, Insurance, Liability, Malpractice/statistics & numerical data, Sweden
in
European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery
volume
58
issue
5
pages
771 - 776
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85072186654
  • pmid:31530500
ISSN
1532-2165
DOI
10.1016/j.ejvs.2019.06.030
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.
id
2b27968c-e44f-4967-aa7f-0ab14e9518a8
date added to LUP
2020-11-21 16:54:18
date last changed
2024-06-27 02:56:40
@article{2b27968c-e44f-4967-aa7f-0ab14e9518a8,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: Patient treatment within the Swedish medical service system can claim negligence injuries to the malpractice insurance review board and request financial compensation. The aim of this paper was to analyse the consequences of a negligence claim after arterial surgery between two periods with increasing use of endovascular treatment.</p><p>METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of the arterial surgery negligence claims from two three year periods 2005-2007 (Period A) and 2012-2014 (Period B) from the County Council's Mutual Insurance Company. The analysis was restricted to aortic, carotid, and lower limb arterial diseases. The magnitude of surgery for vascular diseases was obtained from the Swedish vascular register (Swedvasc).</p><p>RESULTS: The number of patients undergoing arterial procedures increased from 16 628 to 20 709 (p = .01). There was an increase of 54% in the number of negligence claims between the periods. In Period A, the number of compensated claims was 22 out of 83 (29%) and in Period B 60 out of 151 (41%) (p = .06). Patients treated for aortic disorders and peripheral arterial surgery received compensation with increasing frequency whereas carotid diseases decreased. Claimants treated for aortic disorders were compensated in four out of 23 (17%) and 21 out of 54 (39%) in the two periods (p = .07), and after lower limb arterial surgery in six out of 34 (18%) and in 24 out of 71 (34%) (p = .09). After carotid surgery the corresponding figures were 12 out of 26 (46%) and 14 out of 25 (46%) (p = .48). The increasing use of endovascular procedures (but not in carotid artery surgery) did not seem to influence the pattern of negligence claims.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Between the two three year periods there has been an increase in negligence claims but not in compensated ones. The increased use of endovascular procedures has not influenced the pattern of compensated negligence claims.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bergqvist, David and Hafström, Larsolof and Gustafson, Pelle}},
  issn         = {{1532-2165}},
  keywords     = {{Aortic Diseases/economics; Arterial Occlusive Diseases/economics; Compensation and Redress/legislation & jurisprudence; Endovascular Procedures/adverse effects; Humans; Insurance Claim Review/statistics & numerical data; Insurance, Liability; Malpractice/statistics & numerical data; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{771--776}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery}},
  title        = {{The Consequences of Negligence Claims in Arterial Surgery - An Analysis of Two Periods with an Increasing Use of Endovascular Treatment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejvs.2019.06.030}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejvs.2019.06.030}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}