Perspective: How busy was the doc? Overwork can lead to errors
By Charles A. Pilcher MD FACEP
November/December, 2013
The harder and faster one works, the more prone one becomes to mistakes. That’s no different for physicians than for anyone else. And it matters to med mal attorneys. An increasing body of research is beginning to substantiate the magnitude of the problem with actual numbers. To learn more about the significance of this issue, read this month’s “Perspective.”
What doctors are reading about “Apology Laws.”
To say “I’m sorry” or not to say “I’m sorry.” That is the question when doctors make a mistake. This recent article in Medical Economics is an example of what doctors are reading about “Apology Laws.” Decide for yourself if physicians who have their “knickers in a twist” over the issue are worried appropriately or not.
FDA lifts restrictions on rosiglitazone
More on relative v. absolute risk… From the “I told you so” department, the FDA has removed restrictions on GlaxoSmithKline’s diabetes medication Avandia (rosiglitazone). This Bulletin previously covered the topic of relative versus absolute risk using Avandia as an example when the restrictions first came out. Allegations were that the drug caused an incremental increase in heart attacks. Now, additional studies confirm that restrictions on the drug were premature.