Revising malpractice law: Hospitals encourages employees to report mistakes

[forum_admin]

States Could Offer Template For Revising Malpractice Law

Today the hospital encourages employees to report mistakes, and also to report issues that might lead to mistakes. A committee of peers reviews serious incidents. If the panel determines that a mistake has occurred, the hospital and doctors apologize. In addition, the University of Michigan compensates the patient or the family.

Programs under way in several states could provide a template for President Barack Obama's pledge to address medical-malpractice abuses.

In his speech Wednesday to Congress, Mr. Obama promised to take seriously concerns long voiced by Republicans that medical-malpractice insurance inflates health-insurance costs and prompts doctors to engage in "defensive medicine" -- prescribing costly, unnecessary procedures to ward off lawsuits.

The president endorsed a new malpractice initiative first proposed by President George W. Bush in which states can gain grants for projects aimed at curbing such suits. In a speech Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted two such projects under way in some states.

More...

States Could Offer Template For Revising Malpractice Law - WSJ.com