Rhode Island Considers Bill To Track Medical Mistakes

PROVIDENCE — The Providence Journal reports today on legislation proposed in Rhode Island that will track medical errors.

"... state lawmakers from both parties, backed by much of the medical community, are proposing a system to investigate and track errors and close calls at hospitals and nursing homes, by creating a Patient Safety Organization. The Health Department currently requires hospitals and nursing centers to report errors, but not would-be mistakes. And it does little to document trends or address clinical protocols."

This comes after a series of highly publicized errors of three brain surgeries being performed on the wrong side of the head in three years there. Read full article here: Tracking Medical Mistakes.

Will Binding Arbitration Replace Med-Mal Lawsuits?

Found via Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report:

"The use of binding arbitration, rather than the court system, to resolve medical malpractice claims has become more common, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. According to the Inquirer, supporters maintain that binding arbitration is "faster, cheaper and fairer than trials," but opponents "say the secretive system can be weighted against consumers" and it can be "harder to track complaints or build legal precedents" through arbitration.... Physicians on the West Coast have begun to ask patients to sign binding arbitration agreements, and the trend has begun to spread nationwide..."

See original article: Arbitration a growing trend in health care.

Should I Sue? Examining the Complex Question and the Role Apologies Play in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

WBUR examines the medical apologies issue: On WBUR, a Boston NPR station, Radio Boston host David Boeri examines the topic of medical apologies. The February 1, 2008 show overview reads, "Some patients who have been harmed during medical procedures are opting not to sue, but to talk with the medical team responsible for the harm. Health care professionals are being trained to apologize when things go wrong. Who benefits from a doctor’s mea culpa?"

Listen to the full show and examine wealth of additional information under web specials...