Medical Malpractice and Income: Poor People Don’t Sue More Frequently

Medical Malpractice Myths … another one bites the dust.

Apparently there is a widely held belief amongst physicians of a connection between income and malpractice risk.

Turns out the idea that poor patients are more likely to sue their doctors is nothing more than a myth, according to report published in the Friday online edition of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

Here is an excerpt from the Abstract

We reviewed medical and social literature to identify studies that have examined differences in litigation rates and related medical malpractice claims among socioeconomically disadvantaged patients versus other groups of patients.

Contrary to popular perception, existing studies show poor patients, in fact, tend to sue physicians less often. This may be related to a relative lack of access to legal resources and the nature of the contingency fee system in medical malpractice claims.

This is one of those subconscious thought patterns and fears we can all let go of. Breathe and release.

Here’s a link to a downloadable copy of the original paper.