This is from the AMERICAN MEDICAL NEWS letter section:
Regarding "Survey links burnout, surgical errors," (Briefs, Dec. 7, 2009): According to a national survey commissioned by the American College of Surgeons, 9% of the 7,905 physicians surveyed stated concern that they, in the words of the AMNewsarticle, "had made a serious error in the previous three months."
Given the large number of various surgical specialists in the U.S., and the critical nature of many of the operative procedures they perform, does it not logically follow that there will be thousands of quite legitimate medical malpractice lawsuits filed as a result of the morbidity and mortality that occurs as a direct result of those errors?
Instead of expending so much time, effort, and money in constantly attacking plaintiff attorneys, and medical expert-consultants who are legally required as necessary components of a professional negligence lawsuit, I suggest it would be much more productive and ultimately beneficial to all parties concerned, especially patients, if that intense energy and emotional zeal were to be directed toward the diminution or elimination of these mostly preventable errors.
In the words of the immortal Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."
--Cyril H. Wecht, MD, JD, Pittsburgh
Editor's note: Dr. Wecht is a forensic pathologist and a medical-legal consultant.
ANYONE HAVE OPINION ABOUT THIS DUDE?
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5 comments:
"Medical-legal consultant?" Sounds like a hack-for-hire plaintiffs' consultant.
Yeah I read this pious "colleague's" thoughts. While they have merit on the surface - Who is FOR more medical errors?? Oh yeah, I forgot... - he does not analyze tot he second and third step. I have written multiple times on this blog and state so again, that I PRACTICE DEFENSIVE MEDICINE. In the state of Florida, full-time ER docs are sued on average once every 3 years, and in the past decade...well do the math, I'm a "pack" player. I'll take on any reader here who wants to challenge my assertion that patients these days are as much potential opponents as sufferers. How would pathologist Wecht deal with the ridiculous bills I sock patients with on a daily basis out of FEAR. How would Wecht answer the necessity that internists and FP's overload their schedules and rush through patients (creating more potential for error) because they have to make an ever-shrinking margin, contributed to by malpractice insurance? How would Wecht encourage more to go into medicine, the profession automatically, across-the-board presumed by society to be in the wrong when a bad outcome occurs (and don't forget children, we will ALL eventually be our own "bad outcome", if only from natural causes). Patient comes into a busy ER and has a pneumonia; I put them on a fluoroquinolone, don't have the time, inclination, or desire to cause undue fear, to counsel them on the potential for tendonitis. The rupture an Achilles and I along with the drug company could be liable thanks to 1(800)BAD-DRUGS. I don't use the right med and I'm morally liable for not doing the best for the patient, and legally so when the pnuemonia progresses. Tell me Doc Wecht, as the standards have shifted and the scales waived, how many of us have you skewered? How tough is it at the tale end of the knowledge chain - along with the plaintiff's attorney - to have ALL the knowledge and hidsight because you know the outcome, whereas the primary, surgeon,specialist, or ER doc had tot take the best shot they could? How are you going to erase the potential for errors by those lesser doctors, you pompous ass?
Sorry for the typos, geez this guy pissed me off.
bet the Pittsburg doc voted for Obama too--"changing your beliefs"-I work in a large urban teaching hospital and am just stunned at the willingness of so many docs to just give up everything they have worked so hard to acheive-Karl Marx is alive and well in the USA
probably dr. wecht found it easier to make money as professional "hired gun" than to actually practice what he has trained to do. Just like this guy:
http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Rosen_John_30413613.aspx
what a bunch of scumbags these guys are
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