Correlation of Job Satisfaction and Malpractice Cases

Overview

My research question is, "What is the correlation between job satisfaction of general surgeons in the US and the number of malpractice cases they face?". I aim to find out if there is any correlation, positive or negative, between the variables of job satisfaction and malpractice cases. This relationship will be viewed as correlation, not causation between the variables.

Context

There is some important context to understand when looking into this research. First, average job satisfaction for general surgeons in the US must be laid out. Currently, 53% of surgeons reported that they are somewhat satisfied, and 24% reported being unsatisfied, and 23% are very satisfied with their careers (Murphy). By using this, It can help to put the results of the research into a greater context and can help to show where the surgeons I will survey fall into the national averages. Next, malpractices have to be given context. 50% of malpractice cases that are filed will involve a surgeon. These cases are very common to be filed, so much so that 99% of physicians will face at least one malpractice lawsuit by the age of 65 (Rosenbaum). There is not enough research that has shown the average number of malpractices per general surgeon. This would be useful for my research to help give a baseline, but this is a gap in this area of research.

Methodology

To conduct my research to find the correlation between job satisfaction and the number of malpractice cases filed, I will be using a survey and interviews. These will both be completed anonymously and the participants will be allowed to not answer any of the questions. The survey questions are provided in the research proposal and more information about where the questions were based on are spoken about there. After the survey and interviews are completed, the results will be put through statistical tests to show their correlation factors. This will be the overall results of my research and provide evidence for or against my hypothesis.

Budget

The only equipment needed for this specific research methodology is a Surveymonkey subscription. A three-month subscription to this software costs $96. This would allow for a greater amount of analysis to be done on the results of the survey and help for more conclusions to be drawn. By using this specific website, it will allow for the statistical tests to be completed much faster and eliminate much of the human error.