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Project Overview

Journal Articles

  1. Cheney FW, Posner K, Caplan RA, Ward RJ: Standard of care and anesthesia liability. JAMA 261:1599-1603, 1989. [NLM PubMed Link] See also: Quality of Care
    1. The ASA Closed Claims database of 1,004 lawsuits was examined to define the impact of the "Standard of Care" as judged by practicing anesthesiologists on the likelihood and amount of financial recovery. This paper provides a general overview of the methodology of the project. The most important finding was that if the anesthesiologist provides appropriate care there is still a greater than 40% chance that payment will be made for a claim of malpractice.
  2. Cheney FW: The American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project: What Have We Learned, How Has It Affected Practice, and How Will It Affect Practice in the Future? Anesthesiology 91: 552-556, 1999. [NLM PubMed Link]
    1. The American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project is a standardized collection of anesthesia-related adverse outcomes retrieved from closed malpractice claims against anesthesiologists. The data obtained provide a unique tool for improving anesthesia-related patient safety and reducing liability exposure for the anesthesiologist.
  3. Cheney FW. The American Society of Anesthesiologists closed claims project: the beginning. Anesthesiology. 2010 Oct;113(4):957-60. [NLM PubMed Link] See also: Anesthesia - Regional / MAC, Monitoring - Physiologic.
    1. This commentary in the Classic Papers Revisited section of Anesthesiology accompanies the reprinting of the first publication from the ASA Closed Claims Project: Unexpected cardiac arrest during spinal anesthesia: A closed claims analysis of predisposing factors by Robert A. Caplan, Richard J. Ward, Karen Posner, and Frederick W. Cheney (ANESTHESIOLOGY 1988; 68:5–11, Abstract). The commentary provides the author’s personal insights into the history of the ASA Closed Claims Project from its beginnings through 2010.
  4. Metzner J, Posner KL, Lam MS, Domino KB. Closed claims analysis. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2011 Jun;25(2):263-76. [NLM PubMed Link] See also: Monitoring - Physiology, Quality of Care, Regional / MAC, Respiratory.
    1. The profile of anesthesia liability changed over the decades, including the types of anesthesia care associated with claims as well as events and injuries leading to claims. The most common complications in 1990-2007 were death, nerve injury and permanent brain damage. The most common anesthesia-related events leading to claims were regional-block related, respiratory, cardiovascular and equipment-related. This review includes focus on liability related to the difficult airway, monitored anesthesia care, non-operating room locations, obstetric anesthesia, and chronic pain management.

Newsletter Articles

  1. Cheney FW: Professional Liability Committee maps strategies to confront crisis. ASA Newsletter 49(1):6, 1985. [Full Text]
  2. Cheney FW: ASA Closed Claims Project - Where have we been and where are we going? ASA Newsletter 57(6):8-11, 1993.
  3. Cheney FW: Committee on Professional Liability - overview. ASA Newsletter 58(6):7-10, 1994. [Full Text]
  4. Cheney FW: Committee on Professional Liability: Reflections on 11 years as Chair. ASA Newsletter 59(6):6-8, 1995. [Full Text]
  5. Caplan RA: Professional liability: What's ahead? ASA Newsletter 60(6):6-9, 1996. [Full text]
  6. Campos J: Web Site for Closed Claims Project Provides Access and Insight. ASA Newsletter 62(6):10-11, 1998. [Full Text]
  7. Caplan RA: The Closed Claims Project: Looking Back, Looking Forward. ASA Newsletter 63(6):7-9, 1999. [Full Text]
  8. Cooper, P: Behind the Scenes at the ASA Closed Claims Project. ASA Newsletter 63(6):10-11, 1999. [Full Text]
  9. Campos, J: Distributing Anesthesia Information Via the Web: Lessons Learned by the Closed Claims Project. ASA Newsletter 63(6):20-21, 1999. [Full Text]
  10. Posner KL: Closed Claims Project Shows Safety Evolution. APSF Newsletter 16(2):1-3, 2001.
  11. Posner KL: Data at your service: from the ASA Closed Claims Project. ASA Newsletter 76(2):22-23, 2012. [PDF Version courtesy of ASA]