The National Practitioner Data Bank: An Annual Update

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with an update on the National Practitioner Data Bank over the past year. The previous 5 years (2008-2012) will be compared with the current 6 years (2008-2013) relative to the number of cases that have been settled against nurse practitioners (NPs). Additionally, the manuscript will provide the reader with a comparison of the malpractice settlements among NPs, physician assistants, and allopathic physicians. These data provide insights into the most common causes of malpractice litigation and offer some strategies for avoiding malpractice.