Logic would assume that these physicians with a large number of claims over a set period would be those who may need intervention. Certainly, we might expect changes in where and with whom they work.

Many of these same researchers went back to the practitioner data bank to see if this was the case, and have recently published their findings. This time, they looked at records from 2003 through 2015. As before, they found that a small number of physicians accounted for most claims.

In this analysis, the researchers linked this group of doctors to another database, the Medicare Data on Provider Practice and Specialty, which contains information on practice location and type. This allowed them to look at whether physicians moved or changed jobs after claims.

Those who accumulated more claims were more likely to stop practicing medicine. Even though they were more likely to retire, more than 90 percent of doctors who had at least five claims were still in practice.

Physicians with more claims were also not any more likely than those with fewer or no complaints to move to another state and continue practicing. This is actually one of the reasons the practitioner data bank was created — to prevent doctors from running away from their history by moving between states. In that respect, it appears to be working.

But physicians with more claims shifted their type of practice. Those with five or more claims had more than twice the odds of moving into solo practice.

This makes sense, in some ways. Doctors with many claims may find it harder to find employment in large groups or in big clinics. Anyone can, however, set up his or her own practice. The general public is much less likely than a potential employer to seek out information about prior lawsuits.