Is the malpractice risk for EKG 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) Court records show failure to diagnose cardiac conditions is a big problem in all primary care settings. While malpractice awards involving misdiagnosed EKGs can be in the millions, settlements are often much lower. Expert EKG interpretation can significantly reduce the risk of a missed diagnosis for many cardiac conditions. Fortunately, these kinds of suits do not occur everyday; but when they do, it’s not only the patient and family who suffer. Any physician knows the pain of losing’ a patient, even when everything went well from a technical point of view. When self-doubt and malpractice enter the picture, the total stress, time investment, distraction, and ultimately the tarnishing of a physician’s reputation, can make the rea
