We all make mistakes, but errors by physicians can lead to significant harm to patients. Can we learn from our mistakes? A new study looks for common threads in one area: misdiagnosis.
malpractice
Can a physician's past professional deeds be forgotten? And if so, who gets to decide? If you ask the European Union, the answer is Google.
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Last week in JAMA Surgery, A. Rani Elwy PhD and colleagues presented survey results gathered from Veterans Affairs medical center surgeons at three facilities disclosed to families after both minor events (such as blood loss) and major adverse events needing to be returned to the operating room, or death.
I was interested in their conclusion:
A new study's data seems to support the concept of "defensive medicine," where if doctors spend more by ordering more lab tests and imaging studies they'll reduce their risk of subsequent malpractice suits.