TABLE 1.
Radiologists' Estimation of Risk of Mammography-Related Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Within Next 5 Years
| Radiologist and Facility Characteristics | 2002 Survey | 2006 Survey | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%) of Radiologists | Mean (SD) of Radiologists' Perceived Risk of Future Malpractice Lawsuita | No. (%) of Radiologists | Mean (SD) of Radiologists' Perceived Risk of Future Malpractice Lawsuita | |
|
| ||||
| Demographic characteristics | ||||
| Age (y) | ||||
| 34–44 | 44 (32) | 37.4 (26.8) | 17 (20) | 27.7 (32.0) |
| 45–54 | 51 (37) | 46.4 (30.4) | 34 (40) | 38.0 (24.0) |
| ≥ 55 | 44 (32) | 39.3 (30.7) | 33 (39) | 36.1 (26.4) |
| Sex | ||||
| M | 107 (78) | 41.6 (29.8) | 59 (70) | 33.0 (26.4) |
| F | 31 (22) | 38.2 (27.1) | 25 (30) | 40.3 (27.1) |
| Clinical experience of radiologists | ||||
| Mammogram interpretation experience (y) | ||||
| < 5 | 13 (9) | 41.6 (26.9) | 3 (4) | 30.0 (20.0) |
| 5–9 | 20 (15) | 34.4 (24.9) | 11 (13) | 40.0 (39.5) |
| 10–19 | 61 (45) | 47.6 (30.9) | 31 (37) | 34.0 (24.0) |
| ≥ 20 | 43 (31) | 36.4 (29.2) | 39 (46) | 35.1 (25.6) |
| Clinical time spent on breast imaging (%) | ||||
| < 20 | 63 (46) | 38.9 (27.6) | 18 (24) | 28.7 (27.7) |
| 20–39 | 57 (42) | 45.6 (31.4) | 19 (26) | 30.7 (24.4) |
| ≥ 40 | 16 (12) | 39.6 (29.5) | 37 (50) | 43.1 (28.1) |
| Total annual mammograms interpreted | ||||
| < 1,000 | 36 (26) | 38.0 (25.5) | 13 (17) | 34.6 (27.2) |
| 1,001–2,000 | 53 (39) | 43.0 (31.6) | 26 (33) | 30.3 (26.3) |
| > 2,000 | 48 (35) | 41.9 (29.9) | 39 (50) | 37.8 (25.0) |
| Affiliated with academic medical center | ||||
| Yes (primary/adjunct) | 23 (17) | 45.9 (31.1) | 12 (14) | 37.0 (32.8) |
| No | 116 (83) | 40.3 (29.2) | 72 (86) | 34.9 (25.7) |
| Malpractice experience | ||||
| Any malpractice claim filed against self? | ||||
| Yes | 71 (52) | 47.1 (32.2) | 45 (54) | 35.1 (24.5) |
| No | 66 (48) | 35.0 (25.0)c | 39 (46) | 35.3 (29.2) |
| Malpractice claim filed against colleague?b | ||||
| Yes | 119 (87) | 43.7 (30.0) | ||
| No | 18 (13) | 23.2 (17.5)d | ||
| Facility-level characteristics e | ||||
| Works at a facility that uses double reading? | ||||
| Yes | 80 (70) | 37.9 (30.3)f | ||
| No | 35 (30) | 48.6 (27.6)f | ||
| No. of times per year performance data are received | ||||
| 1 or 2 | 88 (77) | 39.1 (30.5) | ||
| 4 | 26 (23) | 48.9 (26.6) | ||
| Works at a for-profit mammography facility? | ||||
| Yes | 75 (65) | 39.1 (28.4) | ||
| No | 40 (35) | 44.8 (32.2) | ||
| Ever read a screen at a facility that uses computer-aided detection? | ||||
| Yes | 16 (14) | 52.3 (28.8) | ||
| No | 99 (86) | 39.4 (29.7) | ||
Note—Percentages do not add up to 100 because of rounding.
a
Total number of responses was 135; four radiologists did not have response data for risk estimates.
b
Results from the 2002 radiologist survey are linked with the 2002 facility survey. No facility survey was performed in 2006, and the radiologists were not asked about malpractice claims filed against colleagues.
c
p < 0.05.
d
p < 0.01.
e
Total number of responses was 115 for all facility-level questions with the exception of number of times per year performance data are received (n= 114).
f
p = 0.08.