If you are a Doctor in India, How likely is it that you are going to face a Lawsuit in your career?

If you are a Doctor in India, How likely is it that you are going to face a Lawsuit in your career?

The Healthcare Industry in India is changing, and with that, so is the doctor-patient relationship. India has seen a steep increase in the number of Medicolegal cases filed in our courts. It is likely that you are aware of a colleague who has faced a legal issue, or could have faced one yourself.

To really understand this emerging trend, we would require analysis of data. As per the Medscape Malpractice report in 2021, more than half the doctors in the USA have been named in a lawsuit atleast once in their career, and this number rises to as high as 80% among surgeons. Unfortunately, there is lack of such robust data in India. But as per an independent report by a Supreme Court Lawyer the number of medical negligence cases in India has doubled since 2014. And this number is likely to increase further. Considering the variability and unpredictability in medical treatment, it is inevitable that doctors will have certain cases which face complications. Despite meticulous care and communication, it may be inevitable that some of these cases end up in lawsuits.

The possible causes of this increase in Medicolegal lawsuit claims could be:

[1] Increase in the number of patients/population as a whole
[2] Increased Access to Legal services
[3] Increased awareness about consumer rights
[4] Increase in Healthcare costs
[5] Increased Commercialisation of doctor-patient relationship
[6] Deficiency in effective communication
[7] Legal standing favouring consumer rights

#medicalnegligence #doctors #indiandoctors #medicolegal #medlegal #medicallaw