Medical Litigation of Doctors and Nurses in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Background and Objective: To analyze the causes of medical litigation related specifically to doctors and nurses in Northeast Thailand.

Methods: A questionnaire form was prepared after the approval of an ethical committee (HE561336). This form was recorded from doctors and nurses in Northeast Thailand, those who attend the short course training by the department of Forensic Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand during 2011-2012. All the gathered data was analyzed. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequency percentages with mean and standard deviation. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: It was found that in 64.8% of doctors and nurses in Northeast Thailand have had experience of complaints. Most of cases could have been solved in hospital level (61.2%). Litigation experience in disciplinary offense, civil case, criminal case and social media were not correlated with sex, age and occupation. The success rate of mediation without indemnity was found in female higher than male (p < 0.05).  Most of litigation experience in civil case and social media were found in those who have work experience in range of 11-20 years (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Most of the medical litigations involved with work experience. A better understanding of the causes of common errors in medical practice should inform training and help to decrease these adverse events.