Table 3

Comparison of study variables by type of medical facility

Category
Study variables
Clinic
Hospital
p-valuea

Patient characteristics




Age (mean ± SD)(years) (n)
35.90 ± 17.85 (20)
46.56 ± 2 0.76 (64)
0.042

Sex: male/female
6/21
29/44
0.103

Type of disease: treatment is elective or not urgently necessary/other
13/14
3/69
0.000

Severity of injury: death/other
5/22
38/35
0.003

Doctor characteristics




Number of doctors who explained: one/two or more
27/0
46/27
0.000

Department where patient was treated: surgical system/other
3/24
31/42
0.004

Manner of doctor's explanation




Purpose of explanation: explanation to obtain patient's consent/other
19/8
61/12
0.143

Timing of doctor's explanation: prior to treatment or surgery/other
18/4
53/6
0.448

Those who received doctor's explanation: patient only/patient and family or family only
19/3
17/42
0.000

Manner of doctor's explanation to patient: oral only/oral and other methods
5/14
39/4
0.000

Manner of doctor's explanation to family: oral only/oral and other methods
3/0
33/6
1.000

Level of doctor's explanation to patient: relevant and specific/not sufficiently relevant or specific
6/12
14/28
1.000

Level of doctor's explanation to family: relevant and specific/not sufficiently relevant or specific
0/3
14/24
0.539

Place of doctor's explanation: inpatient ward/outpatient clinic or other
2/25
53/20
0.000

Content of doctor's explanation: related to surgery/other
11/16
26/47
0.637

Litigation




Issue in litigation: presence of doctor's explanation/insufficient or incorrect doctor's explanation
5/22
14/59
0.940

Legal basis of plaintiff's claim: tort law only tort law and contract law or contract law only
8/19
22/50
0.929

Introduction of medical expert witness: yes/no
2/25
32/41
0.001

Mean length of litigation (mean ± SD)(years) (n)
6.41 ± 5.29 (27)
8.08 ± 3.43 (26)
0.067

Acknowledgment of doctor's fault by court decision: yes/no
11/14
24/48
0.339

Acknowledgment of physician liability by court decision: yes/no
22/5
43/30
0.036

at-test or χ2 test

Hamasaki et al. BMC Family Practice 2008 9:43   doi:10.1186/1471-2296-9-43