Identifying and prioritizing the effective impediments to medical professional liability insurance using DEMATEL and ANP method

Since doctors have professional and ethical responsibilities (for their actions) in criminal, civil, and administrative issues, if in a specific situation they do not follow standard care while doing their job, something may go wrong. Therefore, liability insurance is the most appropriate solution that covers any damage in such a situation. Professional liability insurance pays a sum of money for the defense cost of a compensation claim. So if a doctor does not have professional liability insurance to cover him, he must cover all the costs by himself. Thereof, doctors are faced with some impediments and problems to apply for insurance coverage. Since this is a significant issue, in the current study, we aim to identify and prioritize the impediments regarding medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) and provide suitable solutions to deal with the impediments.

In this study, Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytical Network Process (ANP) method was used.

Ethical Considerations: 

During all the stages of the current paper, the authenticity of the text, honesty, trusteeship, and moral codes were followed.

The results gained in the study approve that legal impediments have the highest priority (0.2569), then cultural impediments (0.2493), miscellaneous impediments (0.2478) and impediments related to equipment and facilities (0.2458) have the next highest priority. In regard to legal impediments, the lack of reform of the law related to medical practice based on the requirements of society has the highest priority (0.0692).

Having professional liability insurance coverage is a must for doctors. Since damage/ medical malpractice may occur during treatment by a doctor, hospital managers should take the necessary actions to arrange for doctors’ insurance coverage.