Medical Ethics Advisor 2004-09-01

Medical error problem getting worse, report claims

An average of 195,000 people in the United States died from potentially preventable medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001, and 2002, a new study from the health care quality company HealthGrades Inc. estimates. This puts the annual death toll at nearly twice the rate indicated by previous studies.

Availability of prenatal genetic tests questioned

As researchers discover more genetic links to diseases, newer and more accurate diagnostic and screening tests are making their way to the market. But with an increasing array of tests out there, it is becoming more difficult for providers to determine which screening and diagnostic tests will offer tangible benefits to patients and which will most likely cost them and their insurers vast amounts of money and raise more questions than answers.

Questions persist about ADD diagnosis in adults

Although recognized as a legitimate illness for more than a decade, many health care providers still refuse to acknowledge attention-deficit disorder (ADD) as an affliction affecting adults, say behavioral health experts.

Suggested Diagnostic Criteria for AD/HD in Adults

If you have exhibited at least 12 of the following behaviors since childhood, and if these symptoms are not associated with any other medical or psychiatric condition, consider an evaluation by a team of AD/HD professionals.

Ethics subcommittee surrogate for patients

It is heartbreaking dilemma faced by hospital staff everywhere a patient is brought to the emergency department (ED) unconscious, the victim of a severe stroke or brain hemorrhage that leaves the person incapacitated and unable to participate in decisions about his or her care.

News Brief: Film teaches art of medical error disclosure

The Georgia Hospital Association, with support from a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has developed a film to instruct health care professionals on the art of disclosing medical errors and unanticipated outcomes to patients and family members.

Medical Ethics Advisor – September 1, 2004

September 1, 2004