Professional indemnity/medical malpractice insurance—Awareness among medical students and consultants of India: An online survey study

Abstract

Introduction: Professional indemnity (PI) or medical malpractice insurance (MMI) has been a hot topic considering the increasing number of medical negligence cases rising worldwide. However, there is a palpable difference in understanding and usage of this tool in developed countries and regions such as India. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the general understanding of resident doctors and consultants about MMI and knowledge about its technical jargon. Materials and Methods: We distributed short Google Form questionnaires about various aspects of MMI. We recorded the data from 141 resident doctors and 42 consultants in the Navi Mumbai area of India. As it was a survey, we required no ethical review. Results: As consultants’ experience grew, so did their understanding of medical indemnity. Approximately 90%, 64%, and 22% of consultants with 10 years, 5–10 years, and 5 years of experience had acquired PI. The AOY:AOT (any one year:anyone time) ratio was known to just 35% of these specialists. About half of the resident doctors were aware of PI and the effects of medical specialization on PI. Around a fifth of the individuals had only acquired the PI. Conclusion: There needs to be more clarity between the need and knowledge of MMI in India. This needs to be addressed by teaching medical postgraduates about it during training. “There should be special emphasis on medical indemnity in terms of its need, clauses, and cost during postgraduate medical training.”

Keywords

• financial ignorance
• insurance
• malpractice
• medical claims
• professional indemnity