The goal was to examine malpractice claim rates before and after participation in simulation training, which focused on team training during a high-acuity clinical scenario. Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing claim rates before and after simulation training among 292 obstetrician-gynecologists who were all covered by the same malpractice insurer and attended one or more simulation training sessions from 2002 to 2019. The insurer provided data on malpractice claims involving study physicians, as well as coverage durations, which they utilized to compute claim rates, represented as claims per 100 physician coverage years. In our analyses of pre-simulation and post-simulation training claim rates, we utilized three distinct time periods: the whole research period, 2 years pre simulation and post-simulation training, and 1-year pre simulation and post-simulation training. Secondary outcomes were indemnity payment amounts, the percentage of claims paid, and the severity of the damage. Malpractice claim rates were substantially lower after simulation training compared to pre-simulation training for the whole research period and the two years of pre-simulation and post-simulation training. Post-simulation claim rates were 6.3, 2.1, and 1.3 claims per 100 physician coverage years for doctors who attended one, two, or three or more simulation sessions, respectively. There was no significant change in the median or mean indemnity paid the percentage of claims on which an indemnity payment was made, or the median degree of injury after simulation training compared to before simulation training.
After simulation training, we saw a substantial decrease in malpractice claims. Simulation training should be used more widely in obstetrics and gynecology.
