HPSO, CNA HealthPro collaborate to publish Physical Therapy Liability report

CNA HealthPro, a leader in the healthcare professional liability insurance industry, recently collaborated with Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) to publish a report focused on the risks encountered by physical therapists. Entitled, Physical Therapy Liability, 2001-2010, the report is divided into three parts: CNA's analysis of physical therapy (PT) professional liability closed claims; HPSO's analysis of PT license protection paid claims; and highlights from HPSO's 2011 Qualitative Physical Therapist Work Profile Survey.

"We firmly believe that knowledge is the key to enhancing patient safety and managing risk," said Bruce Dmytrow, vice president - Specialty Risk Control, CNA. "By offering data analysis, risk control recommendations and a self-assessment checklist, we hope to encourage our insureds to examine their own clinical practices and policies, discern areas of possible improvement, and maximize patient safety while minimizing risk."

Through its collaboration with HPSO, CNA HealthPro currently insures approximately 70,000 physical therapy professionals nationwide. Part One of the report includes CNA's analysis of approximately 4,000 professional liability claims attributed to CNA-insured physical therapists in the HPSO program that closed from January 2001 through December 2010. Findings include:

• The average paid indemnity for physical therapy claims grew approximately 4.5% annually over the study period.
• The average cost to defend a physical therapy claim is approximately $25,000.
• The most common category of claim allegation is "Improper Performance Using Therapeutic Exercise" which includes "improper technique" and "injury during resistance exercise or stretching."
• When patients are "re-injured" during physical therapy, the average paid indemnity is nearly twice the amount of other physical therapy claims.