Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comA new federal study finds up to 70 percent of same-day surgery centers have serious problems with infection control, including failing to wash hands and wear gloves.
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They've just now figured this out?
Hey, that's good work boys!
Many of the problems that we are seeing in these facilities are the result of hiring incompetent and untrained personnel. The state and county health departments do not have the staff or funds to do the inspections. Why??? Because they cannot levy fines against the surgery centers or hospitals because the hospital industry has lobbied against it. Although the check list for The Joint Commission are a joke, the inspectors can be bought off.
yeah and most of the areas of concern are probably looked at by the doc and staff as overkill and most likely the doc and staff are right.....at clinics anyway not hospitals....the regulations are designed to cover everything possible ;only problem is; things can be done correctly; carefully, easier with the same outcome of no infections, without the, sometimes, idiotic regulation type procedures that are government designed..........go ahead and press this issue and you will likely be charged an infection control fee for every office visit..docs dont mind following stupid regs to the tee, but if forced to do so they will have to charge more..most docs know what is overkill and what is not and try to save the patients money and stay competitive with other docs fees. some clinics are dirty and some are not and most cut corners where it is possible because the extra expense to you is not needed . just because you dont follow the regs to the tee does not mean you are being unhygienic.........
Affair girl terminated forgotten?
So where does washing your hands fall in your list of things that are overkill? The reason that these regs exist is to protect the patient. To protect them from people like you who think they know better. Evidence based practice shows that not following the regs results in ill or dying patients. Not every single time or even half the time, but enough of the time to be statistically significant. Hopefully you are not an MD, so that your license will disappear when you are caught flouting the regs.
Affair girl terminated forgotten? Whoah....I see you have unlimited potential and employment opportunities with The Joint Commission and the State Department of Health. It is people like you who rationalize (usually because of laziness or ignorance) that it is ok to ignore evidence based practices for infection prevention and control. I am sure you can not only save them lots of money but also increase the revenue stream with all of the new infections that pop up.
Bilat. carpal tunnel. One in outpatient clinic & 1 done in hospital. Result: 2 Nosocomicals-ear infection (one) & pneumonia (other). Nurse (me) here & both places were well-ranked. Shudder to think of what it would have been if they had NOT been properly clean.
Believe me, the infection problems and lack of hand washing is pervasive in every hospital in america! I am an "old" nurse and since the use of gloves hospital personnel have all but quit washing their hands!
Having had the misfortune to have several recent operations, in hospitals from Biloxi, MS to Evansville, IN, I can testify that most are very lax in their cleanliness. Doctors and nurses, too, had to be reminded by me to wear gloves and to open needles in my presence. I asked one phlebotomist if she wasn't going to wear gloves to draw blood from me. She said, "Oh, I know you don't have AIDS." I said, "But I don't know that YOU don't."
Doctors wear their scrubs, neckties, and stethoscopes to lunch, then return and operate on people wearing the same attire. They go from patient to patient without washing their hands, and act irritated if you ask them to wash...even though there are signs in every room asking patients to do just that.
No wonder so many patients get infections in hospitals that are more dangerous than the illness which brought them there.
So where does this happen?
You don't wear a necktie to operate (a formal procedure?)
You don't wear a stehoscope to operate.
Doctors I have observed change into new scrubs after eating.
I suppose there are abuses, but how much?
How is this any surprise for an industry that profits from treating it's own mistakes?
At one medical center I was witness to mistakes on my behalf more than half the time. These include paperwork errors, being sent to the wrong lab and finding out only when I asked what the delay was, scheduled for an appointment day which the doctor was not to be in town and finding out only after I arrived and had taken time off work, twice my telephone messages distorted beyond meaning by the person taking my message, a refill request not passed on to the doctor, and of course as you can expect, a billing error for which even after several phone calls and a letter would not get corrected until I sacrificed a half a day off from work to meet with someone at the billing center.
All this would have been forgotten if it weren't for the botched outpatient surgery that included a chronic infection that has so far beaten every antibiotic that doctors have tried. The original insured (80%) operation was billed for about $2,000, but my out of pocket cost for trying to get help for the mistakes and infection top that, not to mention my lost time from work for the appointments. Medicine is quite a racket!
Whereas your relating of incidents may be correct...
1. There is nothing in your first paragraph that has anything to do with the point of the article.
2. What was the operation you had, and just how was it "botched?"
1. Poor infection control is part of a much larger problem which includes all mistakes and errors resulting in medical injury. The medical industry is not held accountable except in a few rare token cases. It profits hansomly from treating the surviving majority of it's victims of medical injury, including those with medically caused infections. Surgical infections can become chronic cash cows that keep the patient/victim returning for many future treatments and seeing many doctors.
2. This is off topic, but you asked. My operation was to be a septoplasty, a simple standard operation was to be done by an experienced surgeon. Afterward it became clearly obvious that something very wrong had been done. Not as part of the procedure, cartilage from the end of my nose was removed. This mechanical change was not part of the operation and I did not consent to it, and it has caused a lot of suffering. No matter how obvious it was (and still is) to me, the surgeon denied it several times until he finally admitted it.
The fact of the additional surgery was omitted from my surgical report. Details of the infection were omitted from subsequent medical reports on additional visits. These later medical reports were written defensively, as if preparing for a trial.
Since then all other doctors are quite willing to make appointments and send me for expensive tests, while ignoring the elephant in the room. Doctors have profited more by taking my money for treating me with nonsense than they would have by repairing the mistake. When I read the risks and signed my consent for surgery, I did not consent to a cover-up if something went wrong.
Thank you for giving me a place to finally rant. My Mother died in December, 2009 5 days after leaving the hospital in good condition. Left hospital on Sunday, Put into Hospice on Tuesday, Died on Friday. She developed C-Diff while in hospital. Myself and my husband with colorectal cancer, both incurred the same disease on Thursday. He was put in bed and couldn't move. I had to continue to care for my poor mother. The pain of C-Diff is worse than anything I have EVER indured. My blessed mother got this Hospital Disease and was dead in a week. Horrible, Dark, dirty fluids coming from her mouth and nose. Thick, gooey and her tongue was swollen. She looked up at me and begged with her eyes. Diarrhea, vomiting, pain, loss of memories, calling for her mother, not knowing her best friend. Yes, thank you, Mr/Mrs/Miss Hospital workers, YOU killed my Mother. Last small note, they still continue to send that monthly bill that will never be paid.
C-Diff does not cause a swollen tongue, not does it cause dark, dirty fluids to seep from the mouth and nose. C-Diff ( Clostridium difficile) is a bacteria that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. I have been in health care for 13 years and have never known ANYONE who has died of C-Diff. It is a pain in the arse (no pun intended), but I do not think it was C-Diff who killed your mother. Nor does it cause memory loss.
I do agree, however, that most people should be practicing better hygiene.
The swollen tongue and black throw up were things she went through along with the c-diff. I understand completely what c-diff is, believe me. My husband was on the floor in in own vomit and not able to stand up. We were very sick with nurses and a doctor in our home. We know what we were suffering from. From the C-Diff she was so very weakened that she died from loss of her strength. C-Diff is not on the Death Certificate, however, it is on almost every page of all hospice records.
I, too, have been in healthcare for 13 years and have spent the last 7 in infection prevention and control. Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) can be a risk of using certain classes of antibiotics. It can also be developed when an immune-suppressed host encounters that bug in the environment, which, in most cases is a healthcare facility.
At my facility, CDI cases are individually monitored for severity and outcomes. I have seen CDI both listed as a primary cause of death and as a factor contributing to death. True, the average CDI patient can complete a course of Flagyl with or without a probiotic and symptoms eventually subside. However, some patients end up with severe pseudomembranous colitis (really bad), or toxic megacolon (even worse), and end up needing their entire colon removed. If intervention is either inappropriate or not initiated soon enough, the patient can become septic and die. This is the worst case scenario...but I've seen it happen more than once.
The kicker about CDI is that the bacteria produce spores that are in the stool, which are then transferred to the patient's skin and throughout the environment, and these spores are not destroyed by alcohol-based hand rub. They can only be removed by the manual friction created by using soap and water, so anyone who comes in contact with a person with CDI (healthcare workers, family members, visitors) needs to follow strict handwashing practices to avoid spreading the bacterial spores via their hands. In addition, these spores can get EVERYWHERE, so appropriate environmental cleaning of the room of a patient with CDI is critical.
I'm sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, I am afraid we will hear more and more about this bug in the future.
I want to thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart and soul for finally answering all the questions going through me these last 6 months since Mother died. You are an angel that I needed so badly. Your explanation of CDI was perfect and made our family understand what poor Mama was going through. There was no time for surgery, so we lost her, but, thankfully, to you, we all understand this disease much more. One of her nurses got the infection, and then his wife and baby got it. They were all 3 in hospital that night. Yes, a horrible infection, but, I don't think Mama really understood what was happening. Again, Thank You, Schmuckums.
YoungMom30 These symptoms (brown discharge from nose and mouth) can appear in immunologically compromised or incompetent patients with C. diff.
Walk down the halls in most accredited hospitals in this country and your shoes will stick to the floors. I wouldn't let my family eat in a Waffle House that was 1/10 as dirty as many health care facilities. The fear of fines, or loss of certification, that most health care providers had before CLIA, OSHA and Joint Commission were gutted by Bush kept them in line. Now, we have weak regulations and almost no inspections of health care facilities, which produces no incentives to reduce profits in order to have a sanitary, and safe, patient experience.
Can we say Bethesda Naval Medical and John Murtha. Wasn't Walter Reed Hospital profiled on 60 minutes for unsanitary conditions in 2007?
Didn't the Army outs the Head Guy Major Gen. George W. Weightman. Now that was a very filthy Hospital.
Wasn't GW Bush the POTUS then? Maybe this isn't really revelationary news. Hey there is still a lot of work to be done the CHANGE the wrongs and RIGHT the ship for us all.
I was an RN for 5 years it's still pretty bad. One reason why I quit.
Just asking!
Marine Vet: I remember when I was in nursing school being told that the hospital's floors were some of the dirtiest places in the world-and this was before we started getting infections that were drug resistant!
soap & water, soap & water, soap & water.
I agree most hospitals are very dirty. I have been a RN for 23 years and have seen a steady decline in housekeeping. Hospitals cut environmental services first. I work in a surgical ICU and patients rooms are only cleaned between admissions, even when patients are there for many days. Housekeepers are stretched to the limit and often do a sub par job cleaning the rooms and we have to call for a re-clean if we notice before the next patient rolls in. If you discover a less than spotless job after the patient arrives you are out of luck. The nursing staff is responsible for emptying trash and may clean if they desire, although there are no cleaning supplies. Joint Commission seems more concerned that endless paperwork is completed, much of which does not affect patient outcomes.
I totally agree. When I first entered health care when "state" was due to arrive it was cleanliness that was worried about. Now the worry is whether or not the charts are in order and if all the proper paperwork and documentation is in order.
Yep, all we worried about in our office was when they came around to audit charts and that the T's were crossed and the I's were dotted.
It has really gotten to the point I've even told my kids I do not want to go to the hospital or doctors office unless you think I'm near death. Then maybe its better if you just sit me under a tree and let the birds at me.
The endless paperwork is due to our patch work of for profit health insurance companies. Unfortunately our new health care bill was written by insurance industry and it makes their hold on the sytem even greater. Medicare which is a govt program operates at about 3% overhead for administrative cost. The private insurance industry needlessly waists 30%. So the Government system if far more efficient than than that of the private sector.
Not only a lack of cleaning supplies is a problem. How about our modern "nurses" many with long or unrestrained hair, tons of jewelry, and long and/or painted or bejeweled fingernails. They are walking typhoid Marys.
And what about this nonsense of hospital "uniforms" worn from home and home laundered. You cannot tell me that that is not some sort of bacteriological hazard waiting to happen or a contributing factor to hospital infection rates.
Seriously, Lets think about this. Would you rather have an operation in a Hospital, where very sick people are kept and cross contamination is more likely to occur, or in a Surgery center, where people are healthy??? The issue really lies with the Health Departments. P.S. If you have to have same day surgery or even a hospital stay, I recommend New Jersey!! Cleanest Facilities in the Nation thanks to their dedicated Health Department. Followed by Florida.
LOL North, central or southern NJ? I've been in several in SJ and I can tell you they are not that clean.
Lourdes is disgusting.
And how do you expect to use insurance, if you have any, if you live somewhere else. We have no system and what we do have doesn't work.
And this is the future of health care. Unregulated clinics, hospitals and doctors offices that don't follow protocol and disinfect or follow safety guidelines. I work in the health care industry and have seen so many disgustingly dirty practices its no wonder so many people have one infection or illness after another. Not even funny, but we often joked around that if you weren't sick when you got there, you would be soon. Its really disgusting. As someone whose thoughts are always on whose illness I could contract myself, maybe to the point of ocd about it, you better believe I'm disinfecting when sick people come through the door.
I remember as a kid hospitals and doctors offices smelled of anesthetically clean things, of white cap disinfectant and nurses uniforms looked as if you could eat off of them, not filthy like they do now. I remember how clean our doctors office was and how good it smelled all the time, like cleaning products and soaps and disinfectants. I've seen some hospital staff that looked as if they slept in their scrubs for 2 days, dirty, filthy looking and very unappealing looking. I've been in waiting rooms with my own kids when they were ill with someone bleeding next to us all over the floor and 2 hours later we were still waiting and the blood was still on the floor. Maybe by the time we'd left a housekeeping staff member would have brought over another dirty bucket and slopped the blood around on the floor a bit. There are some really filthy hospitals and doctors offices here in Philly and NJ.
My sister has had so many operations and different procedures since she has a lot of health issues. She had surgery in a well known trauma center here about 6 years ago and they closed her up with an instrument in her, she had severe abdominal pain so treated her for a staph infection and they only noticed it after she told them to do an Xray. What a bunch of incompetent idiots. When she had another surgery 2 years ago she got a really severe double staph infection in the incision site we didn't think she was every going to get well. She was out 2 months on really strong antibiotics.
I don't understand if the world is supposedly cleaner now than it was 100 years ago and we have so many medical advances and so much technology, why so many people are getting sicker now with severe infections. Maybe they need to start teaching basic cleanliness practices and tell people to stop being lazy.
Lots of the medical facilities even look dirty. They are crusty with waxy filth at the baseboards, the sinks only get the once-over, the laundry comes out still dirty and stained.
The 'techs' who assist in the processes appear to not wash first, and the surgical implements are suspect (wet, as if just washed in ordinary water, not autoclaved)
If they have to cut corners, do they have to do it like this?
I expect that the real reason is untrained cleaning people used as 'all-purpose' cleaners. They don't speak English and I doubt they get paid enough to care about what they are doing.
Inexcusable, even if account for cost-cutting due to poor reimbursement. Besides frivolous lawsuits, stupid easily-correctable malpractice such as this drives up costs and malpractice premiums for all physicians.
There are standards, known by every physician, and likely every nurse and tech, that are to be adhered to.
Infections can happen under the best of circumstances.
That said, there is (to me) no excuse for not washing hands before touching any new patient.
The problem with this article to me is that it summarizes and sensationalizes breaks in technique, and does not give the percentage (one out of three things done wrong? One of 1,500?) Nor is there any follwup to show whether these breaks caused any infection(s). Guess we'll have to find the article for a better understanding.
It also speaks of surgicenters, and does not compare them with an equal amount (or any) observation of in-hospital practices.
Is there some plan here to support the Obamacare/Abysmalcare provision that prevents the construction of any new surgicenters, as the law says, beginning next year?
By the way, there are several positive things in surgicenters vs. hospitals: If you find an error and report it in your small surgicenter, you will se that it is corrected. If you point out an error in the hospital, the administrators will get rid of you. A surgicenter can be very specialized and do such a volume of the same procedure that the results are better. In a surgicenter, you have nurses and techs who are trained to assist in one type of surgery; in the hospital, you often get the "nurse of the day," who may or may not be experienced. And the overall cost to the patient and insurance company is much less in the surgicenter.
As a physician, I wash my hands between every patient. But all it takes is one set of unwashed hands to touch the chart or computer keyboard or workstation counter to spread nosocomial bacterial organisms.
I agree that articles in the lay press sensationalize things and puts things in the wrong context. There also seems to be an anti-doctor agenda in the media which shapes public opinion and is ruining my profession. We are portrayed as rich greedy uncaring doctors who do not spend enough time with patients, don't wash our hands, overprescribe expensive medications, and are expected to provide care 24/7/365 and fill out forms for patients and answer phone calls after hours without any reimbursement for our time (besides face-to-face visits). Furthermore, PAs and NPs are giving the impression that they can provide equally good care at lower cost and spend more time with patients. The media doesn't tell you that they receive only 2 years post-college training compared to a minimum of 7 years for typical primary care physicians.
As a past State of California and CMS surveyor, I have seen it all! However, I was fortunate enough to receive excellent care and observe meticulous infection control best practices at an outpatient surgery center in Salem, Oregon. I required a surgical procedure to repair a large rotator cuff repair after a fall in the rain a year ago in May. My biggest fear regarding the surgery was infection control. Hope Orthopedics and the Willamette Surgery Center were 100% in their awareness and practices to prevent infection, and believe me, I was seriously hypervigilent of every practice! thanks to all of them!!
Thank you. From all the ASC's that do put patients first. We are held to the same standards, we are all taught the same practices. There are caring professional people everywhere. I would NOT hesistate to have my own procedure or my loved one at the Surgery Center where I work. Due diligence.
Many of us professionals do our best to adhere to patient safety policies. You would think from the lay press that we practice 3rd world medicine. Rare that the media actually publishes (for example) the infection control policies of a hospital or surgicenter. All you hear is the negatives, and these are sensationalized, and not put in proper context.
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You have to remember these hospitals and clinic are for profit and money is the bottom line. Having to spend time cleaning and washing hands might cut into their profit.
I think the failures here aren't really from hiring incompetent personnel, but rather, of having incompetent administrators who neither have the will nor the courage to reorganize a failing system. Hiring new people and training them in the same dumb ways isn't going to effect any change, and it is very rare that an employee in training will take it upon himself/herself to reorganize the system in which s/he is being brought in to.
I am an RN. If you think things are bad at these centers....you should check out the abortion clinics. In several states legislatures have tried to require health standards that are similar to these surgery centers or ERs. Many of these must meet Joint Commission (they inspect hospitals) or other such standards. But no - abortion clinics have no such requirements....if people understood what really happens in those places they would be outraged.
Yeah Marie, I'm pretty sure that's why I couldn't have children later in life...
Thanks Marie. I never knew about them, but then again, given their surreptitious nature, their "visibility" is not often contemplated by most of us in the Medical Field. (Retired Nurse, here) And, they are for profit, too, taking advantage of women when they are in great stress.
In the last 18 months of my dad's life, I spent a great deal of time in a hospital room. I told countless nurses and other staff to "wash their hands and use the sanitizer", over and over again!!!! They acted insulted by it, too frickin' bad!!!!
I'm having surgery tomorrow, albeit minor, but an infection could make it serious...I'll sleep well tonight, I'm sure!
Well I have been needing surgery for years lost my job last year and had to spend money saved for surgery just to live. Well at the least I will not get and infection just die for lack of no surgery. Yes I forgot to say do to the screw up of a Sergent who hides behind the AMA
Excuse me butcher not Sergent Sorry
AMA means fox guarding the hen house
Words out of his mouth I think I did not use enough hernia mesh. I am glad he picked me to cut corners on or save money what's a human life he is just a Sergent
You know what is really sad I tried to get the hospital to Email me I got nothing not even and insult. Now that's cold the hospital people is Stones River in Woodberry Tn. Stay away if you value your health
I was in a same day center for an endoscopy and my doctor was reading a car magazine with his surgical gloves on while waiting for me to be prepped! I did end up with an infection which had to be treated with antibiotics.
It's unacceptable ! But in Tennessee it is deemed, defended and supported as "the acceptable standards of health care" see link : http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62
Hey I believe it I am living or is it dieing truth
no kidding ... I have lost both of my parents to seconday infections received at major hospitals rather off a one day medical place. Anyone who has the guts to stand up in front of a cammera and say we have the best medical system in the world is a complete lieing ass. Sure you can get into an A1 class hospital and get yourself taken care of .... IF you are a politicion, or rich. Just look at hollywood. Those people treat themselfves like crap and just check into a rehab center or hospital and 6 months later they are back up and running themself down again.
too bad the rest of america cannot afford to get that A1 attention. No we have to work with the under paid under staffed excuses for hospitals and medical centers we have throughout the country. socialism ,, Socialism ,, ... well lets just call it equal access an d equal opportunity for all and lets let the govt run te damn health care. At least that would be a starting point to getting all the damn money hungry corporations and investors out of the equation and turn it back over to the health care providers.
I would get up in front of a camera and pull up my shirt. It would scare a lot of people. I feel for your loss of your love ones. May be one day they will go back to people first not blood for profit
I never thought of this it is ironic I am trained in chemical and organic cleaning of critical treatment rooms. I am unemployed and their is a ramped problem of people getting infection so sad. They will not hire me for my hernia problem.
Yes we do have such medical places it is just a matter do you have enough money. Rich and Poor, and Rich and Poor Medical Hospitals. What should never be said is equal medical treatment
We as the poor are Guinea Pigs for the rich
The New Medical oath. We Profit even if you die. I wonder what Albert would think of this
Hate to add to this, but I spent time in the hospital last year; and not only did they never diagnose my problem correctly (spinal headache-I had had a lumbar puncture in the ER), they refused to give me fluids for 48 hours (insisted that I get up and get them myself though I told them repeatedly I was not able due to pain and too nauseous to drink-"You have to help yourself," they kept telling me.), stopped all my meds cold turkey (despite warnings on some of them that they should NEVER be stopped suddenly-anticonvulsants and such), refused to listen to me when I begged them for help, and ignored me when I became stuporous from dehydration! I think they might have let me die if my husband had not requested an IV! I think they also would have let my roommate die if I had not intervened. Not only that, they falsified my records to cover their___!
Welcome to modern medicine and once you sign and out the door it is not their problem any more, even if you are in a drug haze
I have to wonder why some nurses these days don't seem to know how to administer some medicines. When my day surgery for a broken arm turned into a short hospital stay I had to be very pro active about my daily meds. and how to take them. I know there are a lot of medicines out there now but when it comes to the basics like thyroid that have around for so long you would think that the knowledge would be there. I know there are scheduled 'times' to give meds. but you don't adhere to that if it is detrimental to the way the medicine works. I couldn't help but think 'what if I weren't able to tell them these things'? It wouldn't have harmed me in this instance but it wouldn't have done me any good to take them in this manner either.
I tried to be proactive, but they refused to listen and eventually even ignored me! We have no family in the area, my friends were all busy, and my husband was flat on his back at home with a back problem. I was literally alone, terrified, and at their mercy. I couldn't even walk out of there.
I guess mine was a simpler problem than yours since they weren't withholding meds. from me. I could just say I'm not taking these till it's time in this instance. BUT in the same stay - I was kept in the hospital over night to get my pain under control before going home and I had a LOT of pain. I came to the floor when day shift was winding up their shift and they did well keeping me medicated. When I needed medicine after night shift got there they took forever to get to me only to ask if I wanted a pill or IV med. It was like that all night and I had a really bad night. Come to find out the next day the Dr. ordered the pill to be given every 4 hours and the IV med. to be given as I needed it for break through pain. Needless to say my pain wasn't controled causing me to have to stay an extra day until after the meds. were given the way they were ordered. Gotta wonder how often this happens costing the patient money that it shouldn't have!
I don't know much about the same day surgury centers, but when my then 6 year old daughter needed surgery and was hospitalized at the Children's hospital in Minneapolis, I was shocked how filthy and disgustingly dirty it was ! And her room spelled like stale urine - the place was horrible. We got her out of there asap.
I work at an outpatient surgery center. We are impecably clean and sterile. We have constant meetings on how to improve what is already stringent rules. It is terrible that this is an issue anywhere. Sticky floors, reusing of unsterile items! I was told that Medicare is or will not be covering the hospitalization of patients that are admitted or kept in longer due to hospital caused infections. That may be an incentive. This is America it is appauling that we are the fanatical about sterilization techniques! At our facility we have had a ZERO! infection rate for the 5 yrs I have been there. That should be standard.
Congratulations! This really is something to be proud of. You know it isn't an easy thing to do but this is what health care is all about - holding yourself to a higher standard for the good of your patient.
If this is the best healthcare in the world, I hope I never get sick. All the Republicans were against any kind of healthcare regulation or reform guess they have been bought and paid for. All you ever hear Republicans do is complain about, "frivolous law suits", like the one where a Ohio woman had the wrong breast removed and sued to have reconstructive surgurey done. She was billed for the cost of removing her 'good' breast and refused any kind of reconstruction. Guess that is just another one of those 'frivolous' law suits Bush and the Repubs keep crying about.
Law suits account for less than 1% of total heathcare costs yet that is all the Republicans whine about. It is a fact that 50% of malpractice law suits are due to the same 5% of bad doctors yet those quacks never lose their license. If not for the threat of lawsuits people would be being killed in droves at hospitals accross the country, all in the name of profit.
Will the new healthcare bill help this? By all accounts there will be fewer docs. Do we know that the bad ones will be the ones who leave? My good docs are the ones telling me they might leave. I don't know statistics, but I do know that today a doc can easily lose a lawsuit even if he did nothing wrong. In some cases all a lawyer has to prove is that SOMEONE else MIGHT have done something different that could have resulted in a better outcome. I agree that bad docs should definitely lose their licenses-does the new health care bill accomplish that?