- Jan 20, 2001
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Not surprising that insurance companies ARE NOT in the coalition (excerpts from AMEDNEWS.COM
Somebody stole my idea . . . I should sue!
A new coalition of patients, attorneys, doctors and hospital administrators across the nation has an idea to keep liability costs and medical errors down at the same time.
The group is called the Sorry Works! Coalition. Its members describe the idea like this:
* Hospitals and physicians review every adverse incident.
* Hospital administrators and physicians sit down with patients and families to explain what happened.
* The hospital and doctor apologize if a mistake was made and offer the patient or family fair compensation if the investigation finds that there was a medical error. They explain how the problem will be corrected.
The Illinois Senate passed legislation that would create a pilot Sorry Works! program, and several hospitals have used the model for years. The result, those involved say, has been better physician-patient relationships and lower legal costs.
Patients are compensated faster for injuries, and physicians and patients avoid spending the time and money it takes to prepare to go to court.
Johns Hopkins, Children's Hospitals and Clinics in Minneapolis and the University of Michigan Health System are among facilities that created disclosure policies in recent years that are similar to what Sorry Works! is advocating. The University of Michigan Health System saw legal costs drop to $1 million annually, down from the $3 million it used to spend.
Somebody stole my idea . . . I should sue!