Table 3 A comparison of patient and physician characteristics with litigation in the negligent and non-negligent groups regarding the physicians’ duty to explain

 Age (years ± SD)

21.3 ± 20.6

11.7 ± 18.6

0.082

39.5 ± 23.9

37.7 ± 30.1

0.793

47.1 ± 18.0

44.4 ± 22.7

0.531

 Gender: Male only/Male + Female or Female only

5/20

11/20

0.164

25/10

19/18

0.081

27/22

39/33

0.919

 Type of treatment: Elective or not urgently necessary/Other^a

4/21

1/30

0.117

3/32

0/37

0.110

2/47

0/74

0.157

 Severity of injury: Death/Other^b

11/14

6/25

0.046

17/18

16/21

0.650

29/20

32/42

0.083

 Type of medical facility: Clinic/Hospital

11/14

7/24

0.088

8/27

5/32

0.235

6/43

5/69

0.233

 Gender: Male only/Male + Female, Female only

17/3

23/5

0.558

29/1

23/8

0.015

40/4

66/3

0.264

 Number of physicians: 1/2 or more

18/7

21/10

0.730

28/7

16/21

0.001

16/33

23/50

0.854

 Medical standard: Standard care/Not standard care

23/2

11/20

<0.001

31/4

26/11

0.051

45/4

70/4

0.400

 Acknowledgement of physicians’ fault: yes/no

16/9

7/24

0.002

17/18

21/16

0.016

17/32

18/55

0.230

 The judgment year: 1979–1996/1997–2008

10/15

26/5

0.001

10/25

26/11

<0.001

20/29

41/33

0.113

 Introduction of a medical expert witness: yes/no

12/13

4/27

0.005

13/22

10/27

0.358

25/24

30/44

0.252

 Type of plaintiff: patient only/ patient & family, family only

5/20

2/29

0.132

7/28

3/34

0.132

20/29

25/49

0.428

 Number of issue in litigation: 0–3/4+

16/9

11/20

0.034

30/5

19/18

0.002

33/16

32/42

0.009