Trends in Pediatric Malpractice Claims at a Tertiary Children’s Hospital

Background: Examining medico-legal cases within hospitals aids in identifying care-related problems, facilitating necessary corrections and emphasizing successful preventive measures. The case of Meyer Children's Hospital is particularly noteworthy as it offers insights into the evolution of litigation in regard to a tertiary pediatric hospital. Methods: The study sample comprised 158 malpractice claims received by Meyer Children's Hospital from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2023, which were managed by the Claims Management Committee (CMC) responsible for civil liability within the hospital. In this observational retrospective study, the following variables were analyzed: (1) The characteristics of the patients (age-sex) and the manner in which they interacted with the hospital, ultimately resulting in the compensation claim (method of access, area of specialty, outcomes based on the International Classification of Patient Safety (ICPS)). (2) Medico-legal factors: the details of the compensation claim, the significant issues noted in various cases, and the findings of the medico-legal inquiry conducted by the CMC. In cases of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), we evaluated the nature of the procedure, the results, and the amount of compensation awarded. Results: We conducted a descriptive statistical analysis to delineate the trend of claims and identify specific deficiencies within structures or departments over time. Invasive procedures and surgical operations were identified as the leading causes of accidents, resulting in heightened mortality rates and serious injuries. The most common errors observed were diagnostic and therapeutic. Conclusions: The data that emerged highlighted a low rate of claims (11.28/year) and a low claim/service ratio (0.0002%), suggesting a high level of safety of patient care at the hospital. The acceptance rate (32%), the percentage of rejected cases (48/158 similar to 30% of total, or 48/99 similar to 49% of resolved claims), the average compensation (EUR 68,312), and the percentage of cases (92%) with judicial opinions consistent with those of the CMC indicate a tendency to pursue exploratory compensation requests and the effectiveness of CMC's activity. Meanwhile, the predominant error types (surgical and diagnostic) are in accordance with national and international data. Finally, the scarcity of disputes concerning informed consent reflects the impressive effectiveness of the communication strategies utilized by the pediatricians at this center.