Physicians with more malpractice claims against them are more likely to accept non-research industry payments, particularly in higher amounts, a study has found.
Researchers explored the links between two forms of risk in the world of medicine – patient complaints linked to adverse outcomes, and payments between physicians and industry.
They used data on 71,944 physicians from the Patient Advocacy Reporting System (PARS) which calculates unsolicited patient complaints linked to adverse outcomes. The team looked at the period 2015 to 2020.
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The researchers, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, also examined data from the Open Payments Program, which tracks the payments from industry to physicians, categorised annually as $0, $1 to $4,999, or $5,000 or more.
Their findings show that 68.3% of physicians accepted at least one general payment, and 11.2% received more than $5,000 in a year.
Physicians with more complaints against them were more likely to receive larger payments, with male physicians more likely to receive higher general payments regardless of complaint history.
The authors said: “In this cross-sectional study of nearly 72 000 physicians across the US, physicians with higher PARS Index scores, indicative of a higher risk of medical malpractice claims, worse patient outcomes, and well-being concerns, were more likely to accept industry payments, particularly in higher amounts.
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“These findings underscore the importance of conflict of interest review and management to support medical professionalism and patient trust.
“These findings emphasise the need for multifaceted strategies to address lapses in professionalism, safeguard the integrity of clinical decision-making, and strengthen patient trust.
“Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of targeted interventions, such as peer-guided feedback to physicians who are outliers and COI review and management, to mitigate these challenges and promote a culture of accountability and transparency in health care.”
Read more in JAMA Network Open
