OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of medical malpractice from different grades of hospitals and to explore forensic investigation strategies in assessing medical dispute. METHODS: A total of 206 cases of medical dispute from 2009 to 2010 investigated by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Nanjing Medical University were selected and analyzed according to fault incidence, fault-prone part, and degree of causality in the treatment. RESULTS: Among the 206 cases analyzed, tertiary hospitals, secondary hospitals and primary hospitals showed medium, high and low error rate, respectively. A majority of medical malpractice cases were distributed in the departments of surgery, medicine and gynecology. CONCLUSION The frequency and severity of medical malpractice in primary hospitals were high, which were gradually reduced in tertiary and secondary hospitals.
Dissent and Disputes ; Expert Testimony ; Forensic Medicine ; Gynecology/statistics & numerical data* ; Hospital Departments/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malpractice/statistics & numerical data* ; Medical Errors/statistics & numerical data* ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors