National trends of malpractice-related cardiovascular mortality within the United States, 1999–2020

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) stands as the leading cause of mortality in the USA, claiming a life every 33 seconds, while cardiology ranks among the top three specialties with malpractice-related claims. The authors’ study aims to scrutinize sex disparities in CVD-related mortality linked with malpractice among the elderly population (≥65 years) in the USA. Data pertaining to malpractice incidents in CVD treatment spanning from 1999 to 2020 were sourced from the CDC Wonder database. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 1,000,000 individuals were computed. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to determine the annual percent changes (APCs) with a 95% CI, stratified across variables such as age, race/ethnicity, census region, and urban or rural settings. Over the investigated period, 2432 deaths in the US were attributed to CVD-related malpractice, with an AAMR of 2.7. Initially stable (1999–2004), mortality rates experienced a significant decline until 2020. Females consistently exhibited a higher AAMR (2.7) than males (2.6). Notably, NH Black females recorded the highest AAMR (3.1), while NH Black males and NH Asian females reported the lowest (2.5). Furthermore, NH White males demonstrated a higher AAMR (2.7) than NH Black males (2.5); conversely, NH Black females exhibited a higher AAMR (3.1) than NH White females (2.7). Mortality rates were notably elevated in the West compared to the South, with both urban and rural areas indicating higher AAMRs in females. The authors’ findings underscore the necessity for targeted interventions to address the pronounced disparities, particularly among NH Black women, individuals in the West, males, and urban locales.