Surgeons Plus Burnout Equals Medical Malpractice
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We should not be surprised that surgeons, like everyone else, suffer from burnout and depression, according to a new study reported in The Annals of Surgery. But we should be surprised, and alarmed, by the manner in which the burnout and depression affects patient care.
In this survey of 7,905 U.S. surgeons, almost 9% acknowledged having made a major error during the three months prior to the taking of the survey. That is unsettling enough on its own. But these were only the self-reported errors. Imagine what the real numbers are.
This should serve as a reminder to the so-called tort reformers that serious medical errors remain a serious problem. Thus far, none of the ideas proposed by tort “reformers” have addressed the root cause of the medical malpractice lawsuits that they constantly decry–medical errors that ruin or end patients’ lives. Isn’t it time that their thinking evolved?
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throckmorton said:
If you ask a surgeon what he considers a major error you will get a different answer that you would if you ask an attorney. For example, if I plave a patient on lovenox and they get a bleed, I would claim it is an error as I should have used SCDs on that patient. It not that either one is the right answer, its just that one had a bleed. These are retrospective “what would I have done differently”.
Also, what percent of errors resulted in patient harm? I tell my patients that it is human to have errors, but it is essential to do your best that your errors cause no harm. It is a crime to not learn from them.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:36 pm