JACKSON, Miss., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Doctors believe that frivolous lawsuits are increasing the cost of healthcare and Mississippi patients are paying the price, according to a survey released today by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA), SickofLawsuits.org and the Mississippi State Medical Association.
The study, which polled physicians practicing in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia, clearly demonstrates that doctors recognize how medical lawsuits hurt our healthcare system. In Mississippi, the majority of physicians surveyed believe that practicing medicine in areas ATRA has designated as Judicial Hellholes(TM) negatively affects their ability to practice medicine and increases the cost of patient care.
"The legislature has taken steps to address the medical liability crisis in Mississippi, but this study suggests that healthcare lawsuits are still harming Mississippi's healthcare system," said ATRA President Sherman Joyce. "Physicians report continuing concerns about lawsuit exposure - forcing physicians to change the way they practice medicine and ultimately increasing the availability and cost of healthcare for patients."
Judicial Hellholes are state trial court jurisdictions where ATRA believes that impartial justice is unavailable. ATRA believes that personal injury lawyers seek out these jurisdictions and file cases there with the expectation that they will receive a large reward, a favorable precedent, or both. In Mississippi, ATRA has identified Copiah, Claiborne, Jefferson, Holmes and Hinds Counties as Judicial Hellhole jurisdictions.
Six key areas of concern were reflected in the survey of Mississippi physicians:
-- 84 percent report that they are very concerned about the effect of
medical litigation on the practice of medicine.
-- 81 percent report that they have changed the way they practice
medicine because of litigation concerns.
-- 86 percent believe that Judicial Hellholes increase medical
malpractice insurance costs.
-- 83 percent believe Judicial Hellholes negatively affect their ability
to practice medicine.
-- 99 percent say that inflammatory advertising by personal injury
lawyers causes unnecessary medical lawsuits to be filed; 72 percent
agree that such advertising can result in patients failing to seek
appropriate medical care.
-- 99 percent believe that unnecessary litigation increases patient care
costs; 74 percent say it increases costs "a lot."
Dr. Steve Parvin, M.D., President-Elect of the Mississippi State Medical Association points to inflammatory personal injury lawyer advertising as a particular concern in Mississippi.
"The effect of these ads is to induce a state of fear and panic in patients," Dr. Parvin observed. "This causes situations where patients are literally scared into not taking their medication and are not consulting their physicians. Patients risk potentially adverse health consequences because of these irresponsible solicitations," he continued. "This is one of many reasons why our state legislature must enact broad liability reform."
David Allen, President and CEO of Mississippi Blood Services and Vice Chair of Mississippians for Economic Progress, finds lawsuit impacts to be broad-based. "In my work I see great concern about lawsuits coming from all directions," Allen noted. "Doctors continue to be concerned about lawsuit abuse in Mississippi, as do hospitals, organizations like mine that provide medical services, and especially patients. More reforms are needed to stop lawsuit abuse and improve not only our healthcare environment but also the jobs environment."
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) and SickofLawsuits.org commissioned the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut to conduct an impartial series of list-based scientific telephone surveys with physicians concerning medical litigation issues. Interviews were conducted in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and West Virginia from December 2, 2003 to January 16, 2004 among Internists, General Practitioners, OB-GYNs, Cardiologists, and Gastroenterologists selected from an American Medical Association list. The Mississippi State Medical Association is a co-sponsor of the Mississippi portion of the research. For more information, or to receive a copy of the report findings, please visit ATRA's Web site, http://www.atra.org/.
Concerned citizens can visit http://www.sickoflawsuits.org/, a Website that provides information on the healthcare litigation epidemic that is negatively effecting America's healthcare system.
About the American Tort Reform Association
Founded in 1986, the American Tort Reform Association ATRA is a broad based, bipartisan coalition of more than 300 businesses, corporations, municipalities, associations, and professional firms who support civil justice reform.
About SickofLawsuits.org
SickofLawsuits.org is a grassroots campaign designed and supported by Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) groups and other civil justice reform groups across the country to help raise awareness of the healthcare litigation epidemic affecting all Americans. CALA groups are locally based, non-profit community coalitions dedicated to making the public better aware of the cost and consequences of lawsuit abuse. This grassroots response to junk lawsuits and the abuse of our legal system enjoys the strong and active support of small business people, consumers and taxpayers across the state.
About the Mississippi State Medical Association
The Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) is a physician organization serving as an advocate for its members, their patients and the public health. The association promotes ethical, educational and clinical standards for the medical profession and the enactment of just medical laws.
Web Sites: http://www.atra.org http://www.SickofLawsuits.org
Mississippi State Medical AssociationCONTACT: Liz Carroll of Mississippi State Medical Association, +1-601-209-0617