In September, The New York Times reported that the Obama administration seeks to implement a new system for patients to report mistakes and unsafe practices by doctors, hospitals, pharmacists and others who provide medical care and treatment. The proposed system is at least partially in response to findings that medical mistakes often go unreported. Federal officials believe that patients have potentially useful information that could expose reasons for errors that cause injuries, infections and tens of thousands of deaths each year.
As explained by the director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Carolyn M. Clancy, "Currently there is no mechanism for consumers to report information about patient safety events." She goes on to assert, "Patient reports could complement and enhance reports from providers and thus produce a more complete and accurate understanding of the prevalence and characteristics [of medical mistakes]."
How the proposed reporting system would work
If the proposed system is cleared by the White House, questionnaires would be available in hospitals and doctors' offices for patients to report mistakes and errors made by health care providers. Patients and their relatives could also report medical errors through a website and in telephone interviews.
For each incident, the government wants to know details of the event, including any harm that occurred, and whether the patient reported the event and to whom. The questionnaire will also ask why the mistake happened and list possible reasons, such as:
- A doctor, nurse or other health care provider did not communicate well with the patient or the patient's family.
- Health care providers failed to work together.
- Health care providers were not aware of care received somewhere else.
- A health care provider did not respect the patient's race, language or culture.
- A health care provider did not seem to care about the patient.
- A health care provider was too busy.
- A health care provider did not spend enough time with the patient.
According to the NY Times article, the patient reports would be analyzed by researchers from the RAND Corporation and the ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization that has been investigating medical errors for four decades.
Talk to an Experienced Malpractice Attorney if You Have Experienced a Medical Mistake
If a health care provider's mistake harmed you or a loved one during or after undergoing a medical procedure, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. In Colorado, contact the Denver law firm of Paulsen & Armitage, LLC for a free initial consultation to discuss a potential medical malpractice claim in your case.
