March 07, 2004

Doctors Choosing Patients.
posted by Gyan 20 years ago
  • makes sense/cents to me...
  • as seen in the new york times Not everyone is happy about this.
  • Seems reasonable on one level. If I were a US doctor, I'd ant to avoid litigous patients. It's one (entirely justified) thing to sue if you get the wrong bit amputated as a result of negligence, or some doctor decides to graffitti your womb; it's another thing to risk dealing with patients who regard anything going wrong as a lottery win my baby died! I want money! I don't care the medical staff did everything they could!) If that means some people can't get treatment, well, that's part of the price of avoiding eeeeeevil socialised healthcare.
  • From the NY Times article: Dr. Plested said the government already maintained a database of doctors who had been sued, for use by medical professionals. The web site provides nothing beyond easier access.
  • kenshin: That's a list of doctors who had been sued, presumably not the patients and lawyers suing. Depending on the depth on info in the govt. database, I suppose it could amount on the same thing, but I'm not sure.
  • For patients interested in doctors: ChoiceTrust
  • Gyan: You're right. I assumed that a database of sued doctors would at least include the plaintiffs' names, but who knows.