SCVPS

 I really enjoyed attending the 2nd Annual Patient Safety Symposium on March 25th and 26th. There were so many wonderful speakers. My favorites, were Drs. Mayer and McDonald, from Chicago, who presented their system, of handling adverse events. In their system, there is transparency. Doctors and nurses are allowed to admit mistakes and also meet with family members and express their feelings, without the fear of losing their insurance coverage. I spoke with an OB/GYN at the symposium who made an unintended mistake during a delivery. She expressed to me, how she wanted to put her arms around her patient, and tell her she was sorry and ask forgiveness...but was told by her insurance carrier, that  this behavior or contact, would result in the loss of her insurance coverage. How sad and unfair to everyone involved.

Silence is not the answer. Until there is communication, and transparency, in medical errors, change will never take place. How can the medical industry, learn from its mistakes, if they are covered up?  In Dr. Mayer and Dr. McDonald's system, all parties involved , meet immediately after an accident occurs  If the hospital is deemed responsible, the family is offered compensation. Families will get answers immediately, instead of having to wait through two or three years of litigation, trying to get them.

  I am looking forward to the development of a statewide, adverse response system. It will provide immediate, answers for patients and families, should an error occur, and healing for both the family and medical personnel. God bless, Jan