62 million CT scans every year

The Wall Street Journal’s health blog asks “How much are CT scans increasing cancer risk?” A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine claimed that the scans could be causing 1.5 to 2 percent of all cancers. The WSJ blog found other medical experts who questioned the study.
Arl Van Moore, chairman [...]

In an emergency, you had better help me, or I sue

It is great to see this kind of commitment in the face of overwhelming odds:
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, would require patients to prove “by clear and convincing evidence” that the care they received did not meet professional standards. That is more difficult to prove than the current requirement that a plaintiff [...]

1% of what? (It’s about the doctor, stupid)

Kevin writes,
Most trial lawyers point to the statistic that malpractice comprises of less that 1 percent of health care costs.
However, they are missing the fact that the threat of malpractice litigation raises costs by encouraging defensive medicine, as well discounting the significant amount of cases that are settled prior to trial.
The link points to this [...]

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving

Medical justice has posted a few frivolous lawsuit stories. My favorite was the neurosurgeon sued for a man who died who never was his patient.
Neurosurgeon received a letter of intent to sue from a patient whose name he could not recall. There was no medical record or billing statement to support that this mystery [...]

Illinois takes a step backwards

Sad news for doctors and patients:
Doctors Worry About Ill. Lawsuit Caps
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A court ruling last week that tossed out the caps on some malpractice awards has left some doctors in Illinois worried that insurance rates could rise again and force them to leave state.
A Cook County judge tossed the caps, saying they [...]

Diving into celebrity gossip: doctors shouldn’t have to pay for the sins of Kanye West’s mother’s plastic surgeon

Pretty amazing story. After Dr. Jan Adams operated on Donda West for a “tummy tuck” and breast reduction, she stopped breathing the next day and was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Allegedly, Adams is handling this by assuring people that the outrage will just blow over. It is also telling that he reportedly [...]

Why Canadian rates will not be as high as US.

Here is something interesting, found thanks to Kevin MD and the Point of Law blogs: “Canada’s legal culture will prevent “excesses” of U.S. legal system.” The three reasons that I found most compelling were these:

Canadian judges are appointed, not elected, and therefore Canadian courts are somewhat insulated from pressure to make decisions that will [...]

No, that would be called benepractice.

Kevin MD pointed out this story: “No liability for doctor who revived newborn.”

A doctor can’t be held liable for resuscitating a baby who was born without a heartbeat and survived with severe disabilities, the state Supreme Court says.
The baby’s parents filed a malpractice lawsuit after the baby’s 2004 birth. They claimed doctors in Vancouver, Wash., [...]

Recovery takes time

Here is a headline and a story that contains some pretty good news.

Fla. insurers see claims decline, rates dip slightly
But four of the seven largest insurers have filed to lower their rates in 2007, although Continental Casualty Co.’s filing excluded South Florida. The other three didn’t change their rates, despite paying fewer claims per [...]

Another reason for medmal reform: allow people to worry about other problems in healthcare

The Medinnovation Blog pointed out this report that’s been circulating since Halloween (to point out a completely irrelevant coincidence that still seems ominous). It is funny how wishful thinking can affect one’s ability to read. When I first read the blog entry I thought he said that “medical malpractice rates are lower than [...]