Cox Crow

On Tort Reform: Treating the Symptoms

Large pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice suits have contributed to increased insurance costs, which have in turn increased the patient's costs and reduced the availability of care. In order to reduce the costs of insurance, the medical profession asks for a limit on the amount that can be awarded for pain and suffering. This may reduce insurance costs. It may reduce the patient's costs. It may increase the availability of care. But these are only symptoms. The disease is malpractice.

And what is malpractice? Catastrophic mistakes:

Later in the debate, however, Rep. Joseph M. Hoeffel III (D-Pa.) cited the case of Linda McDougall, who underwent an unnecessary double mastectomy after a hospital mixed up her lab results. "The good news is Linda McDougall doesn't have breast cancer," Hoeffel said. "The bad news is she doesn't have breasts any more." [The Washington Post]

Oops.

The causes for mistakes can be identified and remedied, and some work has been done in that area: To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, Kohn, et al. (2000).

Yet to my feeble mind it seems quite simple: tired, overworked staff make catastrophic mistakes. Why is a lack of sleep common in the medical professions?

Then, of course, there are those who shouldn't practice medicine at all.

12:58:20 PM # Google It!
categories: Law

Placebo

Sometimes security measures secure only peace of mind.

Next door two rottweilers live behind an invisible fence. A few weeks back, one of the dogs chased my wife and daughters inside, lunging and snapping at them. Our neighbor has chained them since. But damage was done. The Big Sister is terrified. She quakes. She has to be dragged outside, she is so distraught.

Last evening, I put up a rudimentary picket fence. It may not stop a 200 pound rottweiler, but the Big Sister will venture outdoors.

10:04:48 AM # Google It!
categories: Family, Security