Impact of hospitalist care on hospital malpractice premiums using California hospital data

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the impact of hospitalist care on hospital malpractice premiums. The retrospective cohort study used hospital financial data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the annual hospital survey conducted by the American Hospital Association. The sample included 1000 California hospitals from 2006 to 2010. The effect of hospitalist care on hospital malpractice premiums was evaluated using generalized estimation equation models with log link normal distribution after controlling for hospital and market characteristics, patient utilization and staffing patterns. In multivariable analyses, hospitals with more full-time hospitalists per average daily census were associated with lower malpractice insurance premiums. For example, a one-hospitalist increase per 100 daily censuses resulted in a 5.1% reduction in malpractice insurance premiums. Hospitalist care was associated with a reduction in malpractice insurance expenses. The data reveal that hospitalist care is more efficient and effective in patient treatment and preventing complications. The improved efficiency may reduce malpractice insurance expenses.

KEYWORDS:

• Hospitalist
• malpractice insurance premium
• malpractice claim lawsuits
• experience ratings

JEL CLASSIFICATION:

• I11
• I13

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

¹ Please see Sloan (1990).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2016S1A5A8017474).