Patient Complaints in Orthopedic Surgery: An Analysis Utilizing a Large National Database.

Introduction: Unsolicited patient complaints (UPCs) about surgeons correlate with surgical complications and malpractice claims. Analysis of UPCs in orthopedics is limited.

Methods: Patient complaint reports recorded at 36 medical centers between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 were coded using a previously validated coding algorithm Patient Advocacy Reporting System.

Results: A total of 33,174 physicians had 4 consecutive years of data across the 36 participating medical centers and met other inclusion criteria.

Conclusions: Orthopedists with high numbers of UPCs may benefit from being made aware of their elevated risk status in ways that invite reflection on underlying causes.