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Indiana physicians listed in national malpractice database
Patients can find malpractice information about physicians with just a click of a mouse and a credit card number.
For $7.95, data about medical malpractice judgments, settlements and arbitration awards on 700,000 physicians in 15 states, including Indiana, can be found at HealthGrades.com. The Web site also lists medical training, board certification, sanctions by medical boards, quality ratings of nearby hospitals, patient satisfaction ratings and more.
In addition, the company lists five medical specialties with the highest percentage of malpractice incidents. In order they are: bariatric surgery, maternal fetal medicine, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and cardiothoracic surgery.
The independent health care ratings company claims approximately three million people access its database each month to research and select doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.
HealthGrades asserts its online information is the first national database of physician malpractice records available to the public. However, the Indiana Department of Insurance already makes publicly available Indiana physicians’ claims history through a searchable online database.
Physicians should occasionally view their claims history profile with the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund to verify accuracy, advises Julie Reed, ISMA legal counsel.
National Practitioner Data Bank>>
Indiana claims information>>
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