Does a doctor’s personality up their risk of being sued?
Medics who are 'agreeable' - kind, considerate and forgiving – are less likely to face medical negligence claims, Australian research suggests
Having an ‘agreeable’ personality provides doctors with protection from medical negligence claims, whereas being unhappy with life ups their risk, new Australian research suggests.
The landmark study included data from 12,134 doctors — about half GPs — who participated in the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) survey between 2013 and 2018.
In addition to their age, gender and specialty, the participants answered questions on personality, health, life satisfaction, working conditions and previous claims history.
The questionnaire classifies self-identified personality into five broad categories: ‘neuroticism’, ‘extraversion’, ‘openness’, ‘agreeableness’ and ‘conscientiousness’.
