+Numbers | August 18, 2011

1 in 5

Number of malpractice claims against doctors that leads to a settlement or payout. Doctors may be winning most suits, but they are facing a lot of them: 7.5% of doctors have a claim filed against them each year; 75% of doctors and 99% of surgeons will have a malpractice claim before retirement. Some types of doctors are sued more than others: 19% of neurosurgeons and heart surgeons are sued each year, making them the most targeted specialties; pediatricians and psychiatrists, at 3%, are sued the least. When pediatricians pay, though, they pay big: $521,000 versus the average claim of $275,000. [via AP]

+Doctors & Nurses | October 7, 2010

In Illinois, Sex-Offending Doctors Continue Practicing With No Oversight

By Meredith Melnick
Leonard Gertz/Corbis

Sex-offending doctors and health professionals in the state of Illinois have been allowed to continue practicing on probation, virtually unmonitored, according to a long-term investigation by the Chicago Tribune.

+Obesity | September 8, 2010

The Daily Dose: Weight Loss Can Be Toxic, But Obesity Is Expensive

By Meredith Melnick
© Najlah Feanny/Corbis

FDA Takes On Green Tea: Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Canada Dry and Unilever’s Lipton are in hot water for overextended health claims on labels and promotional websites for their green tea products, reports the Los Angeles Times.

+Policy & Industry | June 23, 2010

ER Doctors Feel Pressure to Overtest

By Tiffany O'Callaghan

Fear of lawsuits often prompts emergency room doctors to order tests that they may feel are unnecessary, the Associated Press reports. In the fast paced environment of an emergency department, making quick decisions that can have life-altering implications is a standard aspect of treatment — and the pressure not to miss anything is acute. Fear of [...]