Researchers explored insights for patient safety are revealed through analysis of claims involving outpatient chronic pain procedures.

Findings from an analysis of Candello—a database of more than 400,000 malpractice claims estimated to contain 30% of all malpractice claims in the United States—demonstrated that epidural steroid injections are among the most commonly performed interventional pain procedures and, while a familiar procedure to pain management practitioners, may result in significant neurological injury.

Researchers recommend that “efforts to minimize practitioner liability and patient harm, like the claims themselves, will be multifactorial. Best outcomes will likely come from continued robust training in procedural skills, attention paid to published best practice recommendations, documentation that includes an inclusive consent discussion, and thoughtful patient selection.”

Read the full-text study published in the peer-review journal,  Anesthesia & Analgesia

A Contemporary Medicolegal Analysis of Outpatient Interventional Pain Procedure

Abrecht CR, Saba R, Greenberg P, Rathmell JP, Urman RD. A contemporary medicolegal analysis of outpatient interventional pain procedures between 2009 and 2016. Anesthesia & Analgesia. Jul 2019, 129(1):255–262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000004096 (Subscription may be required)