Table 1.
Univariate Analysis of Dispute Characteristics and Outcomes of Spine-Related Malpractice Claims in China from January 2016 to December 2017.
| Severity of damage to patients | P | Liability distribution | P | Cause of adverse events | P | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major n = 62 | Minor n = 197 | Plaintiff’s favor n = 134 | Defendant’s favor n = 149 | Surgical error n = 76 | Non-surgical error n = 58 | ||||
| Grade of defendant institution | |||||||||
| Non-tertiary | 25 (40.3%) | 112 (56.9%) | .023 | 79 (59.0%) | 70 (47.0%) | .044 | 47 (61.8%) | 32 (55.2%) | .437 |
| Tertiary | 37 (59.7%) | 85 (43.1%) | 55 (41.0%) | 79 (53.0%) | 29 (38.2%) | 26 (44.8%) | |||
| Geographical distribution | |||||||||
| Eastern | 28 (45.2%) | 94 (47.7%) | .443 | 51 (38.1%) | 91 (61.1%) | <.001 | 26 (34.2%) | 25 (43.1%) | .339 |
| Northeastern | 3 (4.84%) | 20 (10.2%) | 19 (14.2%) | 4 (2.68%) | 13 (17.1%) | 6 (10.3%) | |||
| Central | 11 (17.7%) | 35 (17.8%) | 32 (23.9%) | 18 (12.1%) | 21 (27.6%) | 11 (19.0%) | |||
| Western | 20 (32.3%) | 48 (24.4%) | 32 (23.9%) | 36 (24.2%) | 16 (21.1%) | 16 (27.6%) | |||
| Grade of medical association | |||||||||
| Provincial level | 23 (37.1%) | 59 (29.9%) | .291 | 40 (29.9%) | 57 (38.3%) | .137 | 20 (26.3%) | 20 (34.5%) | .306 |
| Municipal level | 39 (62.9%) | 138 (70.1%) | 94 (70.1%) | 92 (61.7%) | 56 (73.7%) | 38 (65.5%) | |||
| Spinal region | |||||||||
| Cervical | 20 (32.3%) | 26 (13.2%) | <.001 | 19 (14.2%) | 28 (18.8%) | .197 | 6 (7.89%) | 13 (22.4%) | .055 |
| Thoracic | 8 (12.9%) | 12 (6.09%) | 14 (10.4%) | 8 (5.37%) | 8 (10.5%) | 6 (10.3%) | |||
| Lumbar | 34 (54.8%) | 159 (80.7%) | 101 (75.4%) | 113 (75.8%) | 62 (81.6%) | 39 (67.2%) | |||
| Type of practice | |||||||||
| Traditional open | 37 (59.7%) | 111 (56.3%) | .898 | 68 (50.7%) | 93 (62.4%) | .001 | 44 (57.9%) | 24 (41.4%) | .019 |
| Minimally invasive | 15 (24.2%) | 52 (26.4%) | 48 (35.8%) | 24 (16.1%) | 27 (35.5%) | 21 (36.2%) | |||
| Non-operative | 10 (16.1%) | 34 (17.3%) | 18 (13.4%) | 32 (21.5%) | 5 (6.58%) | 13 (22.4%) | |||
| Treated diagnosis as degenerative disorders | |||||||||
| No | 25 (40.3%) | 44 (22.3%) | .005 | 37 (27.6%) | 39 (26.2%) | .785 | 22 (28.9%) | 15 (25.9%) | .692 |
| Yes | 37 (59.7%) | 153 (77.7%) | 97 (72.4%) | 110 (73.8%) | 54 (71.1%) | 43 (74.1%) | |||
| Patient death | |||||||||
| No | 36 (58.1%) | 197 (100%) | <.001 | 124 (92.5%) | 131 (87.9%) | .194 | 76 (100%) | 48 (82.8%) | .001 |
| Yes | 26 (41.9%) | 0 (.00%) | 10 (7.46%) | 18 (12.1%) | 0 (.00%) | 10 (17.2%) | |||
| Misdiagnosis/mistreatment | |||||||||
| No | 52 (83.9%) | 183 (92.9%) | .033 | 124 (92.5%) | 132 (88.6%) | .259 | 76 (100%) | 48 (82.8%) | .001 |
| Yes | 10 (16.1%) | 14 (7.11%) | 10 (7.46%) | 17 (11.4%) | 0 (.00%) | 10 (17.2%) | |||
| New neurologic deficit | |||||||||
| No | 37 (59.7%) | 103 (52.3%) | .308 | 59 (44.0%) | 89 (59.7%) | .008 | 20 (26.3%) | 39 (67.2%) | <.001 |
| Yes | 25 (40.3%) | 94 (47.7%) | 75 (56.0%) | 60 (40.3%) | 56 (73.7%) | 19 (32.8%) | |||
| Unpredictable emergency | |||||||||
| No | 48 (77.4%) | 187 (94.9%) | <.001 | 130 (97.0%) | 128 (85.9%) | .001 | 76 (100%) | 54 (93.1%) | .070 |
| Yes | 14 (22.6%) | 10 (5.08%) | 4 (2.99%) | 21 (14.1%) | 0 (.00%) | 4 (6.90%) | |||
| Additional surgery needed | |||||||||
| No | 37 (59.7%) | 91 (46.2%) | .064 | 67 (50.0%) | 74 (49.7%) | .955 | 32 (42.1%) | 35 (60.3%) | .036 |
| Yes | 25 (40.3%) | 106 (53.8%) | 67 (50.0%) | 75 (50.3%) | 44 (57.9%) | 23 (39.7%) | |||