A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality (AHRQ) refutes our insights that physicians are indisposed to reveal medical malpractices and discover its preventive measures. This finding also shows that the doctors choose to talk on this topic with their colleagues instead of sharing it with the authorities due to their doubt in our present system of reporting.
Because of these discoveries, the HHS is now working on some programs to develop the implementing rules of the Patient and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 or the Patient Safety Act. This helpful law provision aims to allow the creation of Patient Safety Organizations with the duty of collecting, aggregating and analyzing classified information voluntarily testified by health professionals.
With such, the PSO will be using this gathered information to recognize the warm holes in the medical practices and subsequently find out strategies on how to avoid these mistakes. Thus, the patients may benefit on the new approaches that reduce dangers and improve the quality of providing cure to illnesses.
Absolutely, this government plan is a positive development. We just have to think of those hundreds or even thousands of patients who are being victimized by incompetent medical professionals. Instead of finding cure to their ailments, many of them leave the clinics and hospitals with worse health conditions.
Luckily, these people are entitled of some legal remedies to reimburse the damages caused by the erroneous medical procedures. If not with the help of medical malpractice attorneys who are experts in handling their clients’ claims, these individuals may just be left unaided and suffering.
On the other hand, our laws are just enough to protect the sick people who are seeking treatment. It is just that most patients are not fully aware of their rights. Hence, they end up without being helped by their neglectful doctors.
Finally, I think that the key here, aside from our government efforts to improve the quality of health services, is proper information dissemination about the rights of the patients.
