paywalled: How Radiation Oncologists Would Disclose Errors: Results of a Survey of Radiation Oncologists and Trainees (patient safety)

How Radiation Oncologists Would Disclose Errors: Results of a Survey of Radiation Oncologists and Trainees

Purpose

To analyze error disclosure attitudes of radiation oncologists and to correlate error disclosure beliefs with survey-assessed disclosure behavior.

Tort Reform Arrives to Healthcare - Sue the Patient - Forbes

Tort Reform Arrives to Healthcare - Sue the Patient - Forbes

Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic Reacts to Unanimous Supreme Court Decision (patents/Prometheus/blood test)

Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic Reacts to Unanimous Supreme Court Decision

Mayo Clinic Reacts to Unanimous Supreme Court Decision

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

AUDIO ALERT: Additional audio resources are available on the Mayo Clinic News Blog.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — "Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in favor of Mayo Collaborative Services in a case against Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., that dates back to 2004. John Noseworthy, M.D., president & CEO, Mayo Clinic, issued the following statement in reaction to the decision:
"We are extremely pleased with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. Mayo Clinic chose to pursue this lengthy litigation process because we believed it was in the best interests of our patients. This decision concerns the value of delivering high quality patient care in a timely manner and at an affordable cost.
"Essentially, everything we do at Mayo Clinic is about the needs of the patient and that's what this is all about. This is about everyday interactions between doctors and their patients."
At issue was a blood test developed by Prometheus that helps doctors decide the proper dosage for a drug called thiopurine, which is used to treat gastrointestinal illnesses. Mayo purchased this test until 2004, when Mayo researchers created an improved test. Prometheus sued for patent infringement and to block Mayo's use of its own test.
The decision allows other U.S. labs to offer a similar test, which will result in lower health-care costs for patients."

Myriad Cert Petition Now Fully Briefed; Supreme Court May Decide by Feb. 20 | Bloomberg BNA

Jan 2012 BRCA patent dispute may head to US Supreme Court : The Lancet

"The long-running dispute over patents for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes granted to Myriad Genetics may finally be laid to rest by the US Supreme Court....."

abstract: Urinary tract injury: medical negligence or unavoidable complication?

"The incidence of urinary tract injury is low in most gynaecological operations but, if undiagnosed, is a cause of significant postoperative morbidity for the patient and litigation for the gynaecologist. A Medline search of studies of urinary tract injury at gynaecological surgery show that only one in 10 ureteral injuries and one in three bladder injuries are detected at the time of surgery without intra-operative cystoscopy. As cystoscopy is not routinely performed by the majority of gynaecologists during surgery, even in difficult cases, failure to detect injury to the urinary tract by itself should not be seen as negligence. However, all gynaecologists performing pelvic surgery should be encouraged to become competent in cystourethroscopy and perform this intra-operatively, at least in all high-risk cases of gynaecological surgery."

Could gynecologists be sued for a missed breast cancer diagnosis? - Because ob/gyn practices historically are at the highest risk for malpractice litigation