Personal Injury Law

Illinois Medical Malpractice Watch: Setting the Record Straight on Doctor Shortages

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

The President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association wrote a letter to the editor last week published in the Madison-St. Clair Record. The letter sought to correct one of the most common myths around medical malpractice lawsuits.

The oft-asserted belief is that medical malpractice lawsuits are the cause of doctor fleeing the area. The most basic objection is that a recent survey funded by the Illinois State Medical Society itself found that the most populous areas of the state actually have an oversaturation of doctors. There is no shortage at all. There has never been a decline in doctors in the state over the last 45 years, according to the American Medical Association.

Besides that, there is literally zero evidence connecting Illinois medical malpractice lawsuits to a doctor?s decision to leave the state. A recent article attempted to show otherwise by claiming that certain areas of the state had shortages of doctors. However, the example used (Hillsboro, Illinois) is a city that has barely any medical malpractice lawsuits filed each year?only one in 2010. Obviously, a single lawsuit cannot be blamed for a shortage of doctors. Even the example used to support a made-up claim fails in even this most basic regard.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on February 16, 2011 (boomark / email).