Medical Malpractice Now
News on Medical Malpractice
Why you should love your…moles: The physical flaws that are GOOD for your health
By
Matthew Barbour
Last updated at 2:53 AM on 31st January 2012
While having lots of moles can put you at up to ten times higher risk of developing skin cancer, oddly, it could also mean you’ll live longer.
Scientists at King’s College London studied more than 900 sets of twins and found those with 100 or more moles lived on average six years longer than those with 25 or fewer.
It is thought this was down to their telomeres, which sit on the ends of strands of DNA like the plastic ends on shoelaces and protect your DNA from wear and tear.
Marilyn Monroe and her mole: Having lots of moles suggests you have long telomeres, which protect your DNA from wear and tear
Telomeres shorten with time, and their length seems to indicate the speed at which our body will age.
The study found people with more than 100 moles tended to have longer telomeres.
They concluded that telomeres allow the pigmented cells that form moles to keep dividing for longer — so having lots of moles suggests you have long telomeres.
Dr Veronique Bataille, consultant dermatologist at Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, says: ‘Moley people may have the benefit of a reduced rate of ageing, and this suggests they are less likely to develop age-related diseases.’
Share this article:
Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2094149/Why-love--moles-The-physical-flaws-GOOD-health.html?ITO=1490
Cold weather plan: Level 3 alert issued
Further to the level alert 2 issued on 27 January, the levels across England have now risen to Level 3.
The Met Office has confirmed that all regions of England are now experiencing severe cold weather, defined as Level 3 alert. The Met Office website’s ‘Winter Weather Warning Service’ page provides further details.
Low temperatures can be dangerous, especially for the very young or very old or those with chronic disease. Advice on how to reduce the risk either for yourself or for somebody you know is available from NHS Choices, the Department of Health – Cold Weather plan for England, or NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or from your local GP or pharmacist.
For health and social care providers, the purpose of this message is to draw your attention to the advice set out in the Public Health Cold Weather Plan.
Specific advice on steps that may be followed by health care professionals and the managers and staff of residential and nursing homes in the event of severe cold weather is available from the Department of Health – Cold Weather plan for England.
Article source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/cold-weather-plan-level-3-alert/
My gorgeous little accident: Debbie amazed doctors – not to mention her grandchildren
By
Helen Weathers
Last updated at 3:54 AM on 28th January 2012
Peering at the two blue lines on the pregnancy test, Debbie Hughes reached for her reading glasses to check that her eyes weren’t deceiving her.
Fast approaching her 53rd birthday, she thought she was too old to conceive naturally and, besides, she was on the Pill. It was impossible, she thought, her stomach ‘lurching with shock’.
Panic rising, she re-read the instruction leaflet convinced there must be some mistake, or that the test was faulty. A second positive test, however, left no room for doubt.
Life-changing: Debbie Hughes with her son Kyle, who she conceived naturally at 53 even though she was on the Pill
‘When I saw the two blue lines my heart was thumping so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest,’ says Debbie, a grandmother-of-two. ‘My first thought was, “I’m too old, this can’t be right”.’
Debbie had only taken the test because her partner Paul Clarke, 45, a heavy goods vehicle driver, had joked ‘Are you pregnant?’ when she complained of a bloated tummy after they’d shared a pizza.
‘I’d put on a bit of weight and, after Paul’s remark, I became paranoid I might be pregnant, even though I thought I had more chance of winning the Lottery,’ she says.
‘When I rang Paul, he was in complete shock. He said: “No way! You must be joking. Have you got your glasses on?”’
Only Debbie did have her specs on and she wasn’t joking — as two more hastily bought home pregnancy kits would confirm later.
Today, the embryonic life, which showed up as two blue lines in October 2010, is a bonny seven-month-old boy called Kyle.
Believed to be the third oldest British
woman to conceive naturally, Debbie must surely be the first such woman
to do so accidentally, while taking the contraceptive pill — a feat made
all the more remarkable because she and Paul enjoy what Debbie
describes as a ‘once in a blue moon’ love life.
It was only when Debbie’s partner Paul remarked on her growing abdomen that the thought even entered her head that she might be pregnant
Despite her fears that the baby might
be born with abnormalities because of her age, Debbie refused to even
consider a termination and went on to have a ‘textbook’, problem-free
pregnancy.
And so, on June 22 last year, Kyle was born naturally, weighing a healthy 7lb 11oz, just one hour after Debbie was admitted to Northampton Hospital.
A joyous occasion undoubtedly. But is motherhood something she really wanted to embrace again when most of her friends are discussing the menopause, or (like her) adjusting to life as a grandmother?
And quite apart from the physical demands of a young baby, there are practical concerns, too; namely financially supporting Kyle through to adulthood at a time when Debbie might be considering a more leisurely retirement spent doting on her grandchildren.
Debbie, a jewellery shop saleswoman, was made redundant at the end of last year, shortly after she discovered she was pregnant.
She is now fearful she won’t find a new job at her age; not to mention one which offers flexible hours and enough pay to cover childcare costs.
It is an exhausted, still slightly shell-shocked Debbie, now aged 54, who opens the door to her home in Daventry, Northamptonshire.
The living room is scattered with the kind of plastic toys she thought she’d never buy again, and the family scene inside is rather confusing to say the least.
There is baby Kyle, all chubby cheeks and peachy complexion, staring up at his much older, 6 ft tall brother Mark, 26, who has come to visit his Mum and admits that the new family set-up is ‘a bit weird but nice, too’.
Toddling around the room are Mark’s daughters — Debbie’s grandchildren, Lydia and Nicole, aged two and three respectively — who are also somewhat older than their ‘Uncle Kyle’.
First-born: Debbie in 1980 (aged 22) pictured with her first daughter Hayley, who died aged 17
‘I love being a grandmother,’ says Debbie with a laugh, who admits she has less energy these days to devote to the girls.
‘And it’s a lot easier than being a mother, because you get to hand them back at the end of the day.
‘Kyle’s with me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He wakes up crying every half hour at night and I feel like a robot every time I get up to go to him.
‘It’s exhausting, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s like a precious little gift I never expected to receive.’
And where is Kyle’s father, Paul? To complicate matters, he and Debbie have never lived together and keep separate homes; a situation Debbie has no intention of changing.
Indeed, they’d only been dating less than a year when Debbie accidentally became pregnant.
‘I like my own space, and so does Paul,’ says Debbie. ‘After the shock had worn off, Paul was thrilled about the pregnancy.
‘He comes round every day to see Kyle, and loves him to bits, but I’m used to being independent and he’s away a lot working, anyway.’
Debbie, who despite the sleepless nights looks much younger than her years, appears to be taking everything comfortably in her stride. But then, she’s had plenty of practise.
She had the first of her four children at 21, so though she felt a bit rusty at first, bringing up baby is a bit like riding a bike — once you know how, you never forget.
‘It’s no different to when I was a mum in my 20s, although I am a lot more tired this time round,’ says Debbie, who has been married twice.
‘Kyle is a very active, inquisitive little boy, so he needs a lot of stimulation, but I’m a typical Northern girl and just get on with it. I never feel lonely or blue because I have a fantastic network of friends,’ she says chirpily.
‘Most of them are now talking about hot flushes and the menopause, telling me “you just wait”, but I still feel 21, both mentally and physically.’
‘I was 42 when Brandon was born and I thought I was pretty old then,’ said Debbie
First married in 1979 to a printer, Debbie — the Manchester-born daughter of a bank messenger — gave birth at the age of 21 to her first child Hayley, followed by son Mark six years later.
The marriage ended after ten years, the couple having grown apart, and Debbie was content being a single working mother, doing a variety of retail jobs, including sales and cashier work.
But her world fell apart when her daughter Hayley — who would have been 33 this year — died tragically, a week before her 18th birthday, after choking to death in her sleep.
‘Losing my daughter Hayley completely destroyed me,’ says Debbie. ‘I couldn’t sleep, eat or function. My weight dropped from 9 st to just 6 st. I thought I’d never recover.’
Debbie was 40 when she met her second husband, a heavy goods driver who she married in 2000, and was desperate for another child.
She did not conceive quickly, however, and was convinced she was too old.
‘It took us almost two years to have our son Brandon, who is now 11. I was 42 when he was born and I thought I was pretty old then,’ says Debbie.
‘I was thrilled, because Brandon was very much planned and wanted, but my then hospital consultant was furious with me for having a baby so late in life.
‘I remember him storming out of the room when I refused to have chromosome tests or an amniocentesis to check for abnormalities. ‘He said women shouldn’t even be having babies at my age.
‘But having lost one child, there was no way I could ever terminate a pregnancy. I knew that come what may, I would love that child.’
When her second marriage ended in 2008 — a result, she claims, of her husband’s infidelity — becoming a grandparent filled her with a new joy.
Certainly when she started dating Paul, an old friend and father to a teenage son, in 2010, she was looking for no more than romance and companionship.
Their relationship was one of pleasant restaurant meals, drinks parties with friends and cosy nights in, when Paul wasn’t working away — which he did often — hence a rather infrequent sex life.
To this day, Debbie has no idea how her contraceptive pill failed. She insists she took it every morning and can’t remember being ill or taking any medication which may have rendered it ineffective.
Indeed, for the first four months of pregnancy, she didn’t have a clue she might have conceived. She had no morning sickness, no tiredness and was still having periods. It was only when Paul remarked on her growing abdomen that the thought even entered Debbie’s head.
‘We were both in a state of complete disbelief,’ says Debbie, who has now been fitted with a more fail-safe form of contraception, “just in case”.
‘We were shocked, worried and delighted all at the same time. Because of my age I was very concerned about the risk of miscarriage, or birth defects, so I was very anxious and flustered when I went to see my GP.
‘His eyes almost popped out of his head when I said “I’m pregnant”. He was more shocked than I was, and said “Wow”. He asked me: “What do you want to do?”
‘I know that for some women an unplanned pregnancy at 53 might fill them with dread, but there were no doubts in my mind.
‘I knew I wanted this baby and was prepared to accept whatever consequences there may be, so I told him I didn’t want a termination.’
Debbie’s midwife was the same woman who’d helped deliver Brandon and, far from being disapproving, she acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world. ‘She was wonderful. She just went: “Hi Debbie, nice to see you again. Don’t worry about anything, you’ll be fine.”
She immediately found the baby’s heartbeat and estimated that I was probably between 16 and 20 weeks pregnant.
Back home, her news was greeted with astonishment from the rest of the family. Her elder son Mark couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and asked: ‘Mum, are you sure?’
Debbie says: ‘I asked Mark: “Would you be ashamed of me for having a baby at my age?” and he said: “No, never”. Then he said: “Whatever you decide, you will always be my mum.” ’
At Debbie’s first appointment with her consultant, a fertility expert, there was further amazement when he too discovered her age.
‘When he asked me how old I was and I said “53”, his first response was: “Oh yeah, you’re joking aren’t you?” But when he looked at my notes he said: “Goodness me, so you are.”
‘Then he asked me if I’d had egg donation and when I said “no”, he said: “I’m astounded, I will never forget you.”
He wanted to know all about my family history and wondered if my fertility might be linked to genetic factors.’
Though both her parents have passed away, Debbie’s grandmother was aged 40 and 41 when she had her two daughters and Debbie’s younger sister has just had her third child aged 42.
According to reports published in 2005, scientists have identified a genetic profile that appears to enable women over the age of 45 to conceive naturally.
A team of researchers from Israel’s Hadassah University Hospital told a major European fertility conference that this particular genetic combination appeared to slow ageing of ovaries and protect against cellular damage.
Normally, a woman’s fertility declines sharply after the age of 35 and by the age of 40 has a 5 per cent chance of conceiving naturally each month compared with a 20 to 25 per cent chance for a 25-year-old.
It is, of course, extremely rare for a woman to conceive naturally in her 50s. British housewife Dawn Brooke, who was revealed in 1997 to have become the world’s oldest natural mother at 59, is believed to have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy, which experts said could have triggered the pregnancy.
Before the birth of Mrs Brooke’s son, Harry, the British record for the oldest natural birth without fertility treatment was held by Kathleen Campbell from Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, who, aged 55, had a son, Joby, in 1987.
Debbie Hughes has now joined this rather rare and exclusive club with the birth of Kyle, who — to add to his uniqueness — was delivered still inside the amniotic sac, or ‘caul’, which according to folklore is a sign of good luck.
‘When Kyle was born they had to take him away and remove him from the sac, so it was Paul who followed him to make sure he was all right, and to count all his fingers and toes. Paul was in tears he was so proud,’ says Debbie.
‘When they finally put Kyle in my arms, I was just overwhelmed with love for him. The maternal instinct just kicked in. They kept us in hospital for a few days and word quickly spread about the 53-year-old mum, so I had almost every nurse popping in to say hello and have a look.
‘But I don’t feel remotely embarrassed, nor do I feel too old to be a mum. When I go to baby and toddler groups, no one has ever asked me if I’m Kyle’s gran.
‘Some people might say: “Oh when he’s ten, she’ll be 63, and when he’s 20, she’ll be 73.” But for me, age doesn’t come into it.
‘Anything can happen in life. Younger mothers can die, too, and grandparents often look after or bring up children.
‘I don’t judge other people about the choices they make, so I don’t see how anyone has the right to judge me.
‘Kyle wasn’t planned, but we are thrilled he’s here and I’m determined to stay as healthy as I can to make sure I’m around for him for as long as possible.
‘I’ve had some women of my age say to me: “Oh, I don’t think I’d want to be in your shoes”, but equally there have been other women who’ve said to me: “You know what? I rather envy you”.’
Share this article:
Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
Congratulations! That’s a very cute baby! Looks like his daddy!
Report abuse
Gorgeous or not I would still not call any child of mine an accident, let alone in a national newspaper.
Report abuse
A lovely story, very heart warming, I wish mother and baby all the best and lots of happiness for the future:)
Report abuse
Way to go! God BLESS!
Report abuse
Well, it was an accident so no one can point fingers at her. Probably lots of 53-year-old women don’t even bother with contraceptives since the chances of getting pregnant are so small, especially with once in a while sex. Weird how this baby’s nieces are older than him. Would be kind of cool if she could have given the baby to her son, Mark, to raise as a little brother to his two daughters and she could have kept being grandmother. I’d love to be able to care for a baby though so this boy was a blessing.
Report abuse
Congratulations! That is one cute baby!
Report abuse
Congratulations, and good luck for the future. If he’s ever concerned about his Mum’s age, I’m sure he’ll realise it’s this life or none at all…… From the article: “Normally, a woman’s fertility declines sharply after the age of 35 and by the age of 40 has a 5 per cent chance of conceiving naturally each month compared with a 20 to 25 per cent chance for a 25-year-old.” That’s right, because we all came out of the same cookie cutter, reached puberty at exactly the same age blah blah blah. Fertility begins to drop rapidly ten years prior to menopause. For me, that wasn’t until late fifties (and pituitary tests at 54 showed very much pre-menopause levels). For the next woman, that may be late forties and she may struggle to get pregnant in her late thirties. When doctors talk about women as though we are all identical I lose all respect.
Report abuse
God bless you for your courage and devotion to your child. He’s a fortunate little lad!
Report abuse
I had my second baby boy on my 45th birthday (naturally) My daughter had just turned 24. It has been the best time in my life! Congratulations to you and your beautiful son!
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Hair-Loss Manufacturers Not Warned of Possible Erectile Dysfunction Side Effect?
The male pattern baldness medication Propecia by pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck, has several users declaring erectile dysfunction problems. It seems that Merck has been aware for a while that their highly successful hair loss treatment has a worrying drawback. It has adverse problems which could cause permanent erectile dysfunction. Not only were consumers not properly informed of all the potential side effects, but also the medical practitioners prescribing the medication.
As there are not at present any recognised tests in order to confirm erectile dysfunction, blood tests can be done to rule out any other ailments that might be the cause of the impotence. A considerable amount of fit and healthy men are relating problems with their sex life, whilst on a course of Propecia. Unfortunately the medications advice label does not warn that the damaging effect, will not cease when medication is halted.
Packaging information in America has indications on it, that taking Propecia could have a link to erectile dysfunction, but there are suggestions that sexual problem will clear up. There are several cases being bought to light that the impotence issue is not resolving itself and becoming long lasting, which is leading to infertility, amongst other sexual issues.
Even though misinformation has occurred on warning labels in the United States, in 2008 Merck amended their erectile dysfunction information on packaging in other countries, this includes UK and Japan. The change in advice was that discontinued use of Propecia could still see the inability to maintain an erection and it leading to become a continual problem.
Latest data on people receiving continuing care issued
As part of the revised national framework for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care, data on people receiving continuing care has been published for quarter 2 for the financial year 2011/12.
See the table showing people receiving continuing NHS care by PCT 2009-11.
Article source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/continuing-care-data/
Views sought on changing the law to find cure for inherited mitochondrial disease
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has been asked to lead a public discussion.
The public will be asked if they think the law should be changed to allow a new scientific procedure to be introduced that could prevent women with a mitochondrial disease from passing it to their children. The discussion will be launched later this year.
Mitochondrial disease is a potentially fatal inherited genetic condition that affects an individual’s mitochondria – the part of the body’s cells that produces the energy they need to function.
The disease affects everyone differently, but symptoms include poor growth, loss of muscle coordination, visual and hearing problems, mental disorders, heart disease and liver disease.
The condition affects approximately one in 5,000 adults. One in 6,500 babies are born with a severe form of the disease that can lead to death in early infancy. There is no cure.
It is estimated that around 12,000 people live with a mitochondrial disease in the UK and scientists estimate that the treatment could save the lives of around 10 children affected by severe forms of the disease a year.
A proposed procedure would use IVF to fertilise the egg of a woman affected by mitochondrial disease with her partner’s sperm.
The genetic material of the fertilised egg that determines the characteristics of the potential child would then be transferred to the shell of an egg donated by a woman who has healthy mitochondria. This procedure would not be allowed under the current law.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “Mitochondrial disease, such as muscular dystrophy, can have a devastating impact on the people who inherit it. People who have it live with debilitating illness, and women who are affected face passing it on to their children.
“Scientists have developed a new procedure to do research to stop these diseases being passed on. But such a procedure would not be allowed in treatment under current law, so we are consulting the public as to whether we should change the law.”
Article source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/mitochondrial/
Cold weather plan: Level 2 alert issued
The Met Office has forecast that in at least the next two to three days there is an 80% chance of temperatures in the North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire Humber regions, being low enough on at least two consecutive days to give rise to significant health risks. There is also a 70% risk of the same occurring in the East of England and a 60% risk in the Southeast and Southwest regions. The Cold Weather Plan defines these degrees of risk as a Level 2 Alert. The Met Office website’s ‘Winter Weather Warning Service’ page provides further details:
Low temperatures can be dangerous, especially for the very young or very old or those with chronic disease. Advice on how to reduce the risk either for yourself or for somebody you know is available from the NHS Choices website , the Department of Health website – Cold Weather Plan for England, or NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or from your local GP or pharmacist.
For health and social care providers, the purpose of this message is to draw your attention to the advice set out in the Public Health Cold Weather Plan.
Specific advice on steps that may be followed by health care professionals and the managers and staff of residential and nursing homes in the event of severe cold weather is available from the Department of Health website Cold Weather Plan page.
Article source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/cold-weather-plan-level-2-alert-issued/
Annual statement of fire safety issued
The annual statement of fire safety recently issued covers the period 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 and is due for completion by 24 February 2012. A letter sent to Chief Executives reminds them of the need to complete, sign and return the 2011 annual statement.
The purpose of the annual statement is to assure the Department of Health and the Care Quality Commission that the risk to patients, visitors and employee’s arising from the threat of fire is being effectively managed.
Read the letter on the annual statement of fire safety management 2011 and view the annual statement.
Article source: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/01/statement-fire-safety/
In New York, Malpractice Negotiations Offer Way to Curb Health Care Expenses
The discussion was like some kind of malpractice bazaar, with lawyers blurting out terrible facts and big numbers.
“Our offer of $500,000 is more than we’ve ever had on a dead baby case,” said Margaret Sherman, a lawyer for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs 11 public hospitals.
The patients were not there, but the lawyers and Justice McKeon — who has better-than-average medical knowledge — were. Cajoling, flattering and arguing, Justice McKeon, of State Supreme Court, worked to bring about settlements long before the cases moved toward trials.
The approach, known as judge-directed negotiation, is seen by the Obama administration as offering states a way to curb liability expenses that have sharply increased health care costs nationally. Getting judges involved earlier, more often and much more actively in pushing for settlements, is its crucial ingredient — evident in the recent session watched by this reporter, one of many that are usually not attended by the public.
New York officials say the program bypasses years of court battles, limiting legal costs while providing injured patients with compensation that is likely to be less than a jury would award but can be paid out years earlier, without lengthy appeals.
Under a $3 million federal grant, the city courts are now expanding the program beyond the Bronx, where it started in cases against city hospitals, to courts in Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as to cases against private hospitals. It is to begin in Buffalo courts in the fall.
“We would hope that other states across the country would look at this as a model they might want to replicate,” said James B. Battles, the official overseeing the grant at the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. By some estimates, the program could save more than $1 billion annually if state courts adopted it nationally, Dr. Battles said. The city’s public hospitals say the program, along with other changes, like sharply increased attention to safety, has helped save $66 million in malpractice costs a year. During the recent session in Justice McKeon’s chambers, the lawyers seemed more relaxed than they would be with patients watching. After he agreed to take $1.5 million for a child with cerebral palsy, a plaintiffs’ lawyer, Louis G. Solimano, seemed disappointed. “I didn’t get a grand slam,” he said.
Malpractice costs have been at the center of the debate about health care expenses for decades, with some states enacting legislation to limit awards. But the lawsuits have been difficult for judges to control, partly because the cases can go on with little judicial involvement for years, pushing up legal expenses and solidifying positions.
Michelle M. Mello, a Harvard professor of law and public health who is evaluating the New York experiment, said the program represented a major cultural change in malpractice cases. “Ordinarily when the parties come to a settlement conference, it’s late in the game,” she said. “It’s often a pro forma exercise rather than an attempt to grapple with the tricky issues in the case.”
Under the New York program, cases are assigned from their earliest stages to a judge with training in medical issues who holds frequent settlement conferences, often after months, rather than years. A nurse with legal training helps the judge. Lawyers are required to have the authority to settle. Justice McKeon, who started the approach when handling cases against public hospitals in the Bronx, said settlement became more difficult the longer a case lingered. State court officials say statistics indicate he settles about 20 percent more cases than other judges.
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/nyregion/to-curb-malpractice-costs-judges-jump-in-early.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Malpractice Anxiety
Amitabh Chandra, a Harvard economist, is a leading expert on medical malpractice, and his work does not fit neatly into either the American Medical Association’s camp or the trial lawyers association’s camp. Sometimes it comforts one side. Sometimes, it comforts the other. I used Mr. Chandra’s research extensively in writing an overview of malpractice in 2009.
DAVID LEONHARDT
Thoughts on the economic scene.
Now he and three other researchers have a new paper, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Among its findings is that a large majority of malpractice claims do not lead to any payment from a doctor to a patient. Either the patient drops the case, or a court dismisses it.
In every medical specialty the researchers studied, at least three out of four claims led to no payment. In many specialties, about 9 out of 10 claims led to no payment.
Over all, about 7 percent of doctors faced a claim in a given year, and fewer than 2 percent made any payment relating to a claim.
©2011 The New England Journal of Medicine; not for resale or commercial use
These patterns, the authors note, may help explain why doctors’ concern over malpractice suits is very high even in states that limit such suits, like Texas. As the paper notes, doctors’ self-reported worries about malpractice vary little across states, even though malpractice laws vary greatly. The researchers write:
Our results may speak to why physicians consistently report concern over malpractice and the intense pressure to practice defensive medicine, despite evidence that the scope of defensive medicine is modest. … Although these annual rates of paid claims are low, the annual and career risks of any malpractice claim are high, suggesting that the risk of being sued alone may create a tangible fear among physicians.
The perceived threat of malpractice among physicians may boil down to three factors: the risk of a claim, the probability of a claim leading to a payment, and the size of payment. Although the frequency and average size of paid claims may not fully explain perceptions among physicians, one may speculate that the large number of claims that do not lead to payment may shape perceived malpractice risk. Physicians can insure against indemnity payments through malpractice insurance, but they cannot insure against the indirect costs of litigation, such as time, stress, added work, and reputational damage.
These findings seem consistent with earlier research suggesting that malpractice reform is nothing like a magic bullet for high medical costs. But malpractice does weigh heavily enough on doctors’ minds that a more efficient accountability system for doctors — one in which avoidable errors were more likely to be punished and decent care was less likely to be subject to lawsuits — could both improve care and have some effect on costs.
In addition to Mr. Chandra, the paper’s authors are Anupam B. Jena, Seth Seabury and Darius Lakdawalla.
Article source: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/malpractice-anxiety/?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Recent Comments