A consumer perspective on medical malpractice.

In 1975, and now again in 1985, there has arisen a public perception of a "malpractice crisis." ' The crisis, then and now, principally troubles physicians, who believe that liability insurance premiums are too high. A crisis seen through the eyes of doctors and measured in premium dollars naturally generates responses evaluated in terms of effect on premiums. The needs of patients and consumers never even enter the debate. Many Americans confront enormous difficulty obtaining affordable medical care of decent quality. This article describes these main consumer problems, traces the complex relationships between them and legal actions for medical malpractice, and briefly critiques current proposals for malpractice reform. The thesis of the article is that even in the best of circumstances legal claims for medical malpractice seldom provide effective