Preventing surgical disputes through early detection and intervention: a case control study in China

BACKGROUND: Medical disputes have become a serious issue in China. A crisis cannot usually be predicted and managed through a cost–benefit strategy; therefore, researchers believe that prevention is better than containment and post-crisis resolution. This study aimed to identify solutions to prevent medical disputes in surgical cases through early warning and intervention of potential cases. METHODS: A case–control study was conducted to identify early detection indicators of medical disputes in the surgical treatment of liver cancer through Delphi consultation and logistic regression on the basis of which interventions were undertaken to prevent potential cases. RESULTS: The dispute detection model was composed of patient age (P = 0.08), frequency of hospitalization (P = 0.003), length of hospital stay (P < 0.001), terminal condition (P = 0.004), unplanned reoperation (P = 0.048), blood transfusion volume (P = 0.006), and arrearage (P < 0.001). Risk management interventions through quality improvement and enhanced communication in cases with an abnormal performance indicator proved effective in practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study explored the use of an evidence-based medical risk management strategy for medical disputes that involved early detection and intervention and could potentially be adopted by hospitals to prevent medical disputes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-014-0671-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.