A report compiled for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) indicates that the majority of GP malpractice claims for compensation are due to missed or delayed diagnoses.
The report, which was prepared by the Centre for Primary Care Research in Dublin, was undertaken to identify which areas of primary care should be focused on when planning future educational strategies and developing risk management systems for primary healthcare professionals.
It revealed that GP malpractice claims often featured missed diagnoses and medication errors, with the delayed diagnosis of breast cancer and colon cancer being responsible for more malpractice claims against GPs than any other form of medical negligence.
Lead researcher of the report – Dr Emma Wallace – acknowledged that family doctors are practicing more defensively as the number of malpractice claims in Ireland increases, and this has led to more patients being unnecessarily referred to consultants – enabling an identifiable condition to deteriorate.
In addition to the misdiagnosis of breast and colon cancer, the report identified other cancers which were often misdiagnosed or identified later than they should have been. These included cancers of the skin, female genital tract and lungs; while children with appendicitis and meningitis were most likely to be misdiagnosed.
Admitting that GP malpractice claims are “not a perfect substitute for adverse events”, Dr Wallace – who is herself a GP – said that when malpractice claims are made against GPs, the doctors facing litigation often experience higher levels of stress – reducing the level of service they are able to offer and placing more patients at risk of a missed diagnosis or medication error.
She commented “this systematic review is timely considering the increased interest in focusing on primary care as a way of improving patient care and safety” and hoped that the review provided an insight into the types and causes of adverse effects in clinical practice which would reduce the number of GP malpractice claims in Ireland.