US healthcare liability claims have moderately declined, according to a study by Aon and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, with further data analysis showing a correlation between worker and patient safety.

Professional liability claims frequency shows an annual decrease of 1%, this year’s Hospital and Physician Professional Liability Benchmark report shows.

Aon also analysed data from 34 healthcare systems participating in the liability study and the Aon Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Barometer.

“We found there is, in fact, a correlation between patient safety and worker safety,” Aon National Health Care Practice Chairman Dominic Colaizzo said. “Healthcare systems should be encouraged to know that investments in their general safety environment benefit both workers and patients.”

Hospitals with better total performance scores (TPS) – used for incentive payments under the government’s Medicare program – also tend to have lower professional liability claims frequency.

“This data supports the importance of measuring quality and outcome scores and efficiency scores such as TPS,” Aon said.

The projected loss rate for hospital professional liability is $US2620 ($3421) per occupied bed equivalent for events next year, according to the report.

The frequency of claims is projected to be 1.55 per 100 occupied bed equivalent and the severity is expected to be $US169,000 ($220,690) per claim.