Malpractice

In which John discusses the complicated reasons why the United States spends so much more on health care than any other country in the world, and along the way reveals some surprising information, including that Americans spend more of their tax dollars on public health care than people in Canada, the UK, or Australia. Who's at fault? Insurance companies? Drug companies? Malpractice lawyers? Hospitals? Or is it more complicated than a simple blame game? (Hint: It's that one.) For a much more thorough examination of health care expenses in America, I recommend this series at The Incidental Economist: http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/what-makes-the-us-health-care-system-so-expensive-introduction/ The Commonwealth Fund's Study of Health Care Prices in the US: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2012/May/1595_Squires_explaining_high_hlt_care_spending_intl_brief.pdf Some of the stats in this video also come from this New York Times story: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/health/colonoscopies-explain-why-us-leads-the-world-in-health-expenditures.html?pagewanted=all This is the first part in what will be a periodic series on health care costs and reforms leading up to the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, in 2014.  

Medical Protection Society Website  

Has your Child suffered from a birth injury or defect due to medical malpractice. If so your baby can receive compensation. (855) 385-2529  

Swimming pool accidents are often the result of negligence, where the owner or operator of the pool is liable for the damages under premises liability.  

A survey of emergency physicians provides insight into reasons behind the estimated $210 billion spent annually on medically unnecessary tests and procedures.  

The results of a new survey find that neurosurgeons operate in a climate of fear from potential malpractice suits, with 80% admitting to practicing defensive medicine  

A Connecticut hospital saw a 50% drop in malpractice liability claims and payments when it made patient safety initiatives a priority by training doctors and nurses to improve teamwork and...  

Appendicitis is the most frequent surgical emergency in children, peaking in incidence at 9-12 years of age.  Left untreated, obstruction of this recess can lead to perforation in 36 hours with increased morbidity.  Because delayed diagnosis may impart long term consequences, it is also one of the most frequently successful malpractice claims against emergency physicians (Ma 2008).  

Why we do what we do has returned – this time focusing on the use of ultrasound in appendicitis, which has become the test de rigeur these days in most Pediatric Emergency Departments. I won’t belabor the point on how important it is to correctly diagnose appendicitis. It peaks between ages 9-12, and can lead to perforation within 36-72 hours. Missed appendicitis is also one of the biggest causes of filed malpractice claims.