Is the malpractice risk for ECG interpretation worth worrying about?
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, missed “myocardial infarction is the leading cause of litigation against family physicians. More malpractice dollars are awarded for missed myocardial infarctions than for any other single diagnosis.” (1) Studies and court records show that failure to diagnose cardiac conditions is a problem in all primary care settings. One study found “that 2% of ED patients with AMI were sent home mistakenly, most commonly related to problems in physician use of the ECG.” (6) Expert ECG interpretation can significantly reduce the risk of these kinds of mistakes for many cardiac conditions.
