Kids, I know many of you are still working from home and have had it about up to here with remote learning by now. So let's try something fun: a new PopTort PopQuiz! Thanks to the Center for Justice & Democracy's new updated medical malpractice briefing book, we have all kinds of new info about what’s going on in the world of unsafe health care. (Yikes!) Enjoy!
1. True or False: Researchers who extensively reviewed physician surveys, clinical scenario studies and case data analyses found a good deal of support for the notion that the practice of “defensive medicine” (doing costly and unnecessary tests and procedures for fear of being sued) pervades the American healthcare system.
Answer: False. Rather than a good deal or even a fair amount of support, they found “little support” for this notion. They added, “Consequently, reforms of tort law are unable to make much of a contribution to bringing down America’s unusually high healthcare costs.”
Nor, it turns out, will “tort reform” impact doctors’ insurance rates. That’s the conclusion of still other researchers!
2. Liability concerns are often blamed for too many C-section births in U.S. hospitals. When researchers compared the number of C-section births in military hospitals (where doctors have no liability) to those in private civilian hospitals (where doctors can be held accountable for medical negligence), they found that C-sections are:
a. 50 percent more common in civilian hospitals
b. 20 percent more common in civilian hospitals
c. 5 percent more common in civilian hospitals
d. More common in military hospitals
The answer is “d.” Researchers found: “C-sections are about 4 percent more common during the deliveries at military hospitals, compared to the times when mothers in the Military Health System deliver at civilian hospitals.”
3. The primary driver of physician shortages are (select all that apply):
a. More doctor demand due to population growth
b. More doctor demand due to an aging population
c. More doctors retiring
d. Malpractice insurance rates
e. Liability (tort) laws
Answer: If you selected a, b, or c, you would be correct. If you picked d or e, you’d be wrong. This is according to the work of the Association of American Medical Colleges, no less.
4. Bonus Question: It’s your surgeon’s birthday! It’s a good idea to:
a. Share the celebration by having surgery that day
b. Stay clear of any treatment from your surgeon that day
c. None of this matters - what a ridiculous question
Answer: Ha, you wish it didn’t matter. The answer is “b”. Stay away. According to research, the “30-day mortality rates are approximately 23% higher for patients 65 and older who are treated on a surgeon’s birthday.”
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