Ann Surg Treat Res.  2018 Mar;94(3):113-117. 10.4174/astr.2018.94.3.113.

Analysis of lawsuit cases in the Department of Surgery in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Center of Bio & Basic Science R&D Coordination, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Medical Law & Ethics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. one0308@yuhs.ac
  • 3Asian Institute for Bioethics and Health Law, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Surgery, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 5Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, Seoul, Korea.
  • 6Department of Surgery, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 7Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study is to prepare medical staff in order to prevent medical malpractice litigation through analysis of litigation cases related to the department of surgery in Korea.
METHODS
A total of 94 litigation cases related to the department of surgery, where a certain amount of payment was ordered to the defendant between 2005 through 2010, were analyzed. We examined time of occurrence, amount claimed and awarded in damages, plaintiff claims, and court opinion.
RESULTS
An average of 3.2 years was spent from the date of the incident occurring to the end of the litigation procedures. The average amount awarded in judgments for damages was 59,708,983 ± 67,307,264 (range, 1,700,000-365,201,482) Korean won. Cases were found involving the following opinion of the court: violation of duty of care (49 cases), violation of informed consent (7 cases), violation of duty of care and informed consent (5 cases), and settlement, reconciliation, and others (32 cases). By analyzing defendants' negligence in court opinions, diagnosis (30.8%) was the most common, followed by post-operation management (27.7%).
CONCLUSION
Physicians have to conduct treatment and surgery based on exact diagnosis and be careful to observe patients' conditions and symptoms after surgery. It is essential to identify the current status and characteristics of medical litigation for reducing further litigation and improving patient safety. In order to create a safe medical environment, national efforts should be made not only by individuals but also at the national level.

Keyword

Malpractice; Jurisprudence; Liability; Legal

MeSH Terms

Awards and Prizes
Diagnosis
Humans
Informed Consent
Judgment
Jurisprudence
Korea*
Malpractice
Medical Staff
Patient Safety

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Defendants' negligence found as per the court's opiniona). a)Total number of negligent instances exceeds the number of cases, as the court found more than one instance of negligence in some accidents.

  • Fig. 2 Site and type of surgery.


Cited by  1 articles

Trends in medical disputes involving anesthesia during July 2009–June 2018: an analysis of the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists database
Ji Won Choi, Duk Kyung Kim, Choon Kyu Cho, Soo Jung Park, Yong Hun Son
Korean J Anesthesiol. 2019;72(2):156-163.    doi: 10.4097/kja.d.18.00198.


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