modern patient safety standards wen...

modern patient safety standards went into meaning July 1, 2001, affecting hospitals across the nation but for Veterans Affairs Medical Center Lexington, Ky nothing will change, according to a novels story from abcnews.com. Veterans Affairs Medical Center has had a policy in place for more than 10 years that requires admitting errors quickly and publicly. Administrators believe a hospital should besufficient for its patients and that hiding errors conflicts with this belief.

In 1986 pair lawsuits cost the hospital more than $15 million. Since that time, the organization has changed the way it deals with suspicious patient injury or death. generally the hospital launches its have investigation by questioning physicians and encourages and by reviewing files. After identifying a serious error, hospital administrators contact the patient or nearest of kin and offer to review the case in detail. They provide the necessary claim forms, and, in many cases, help family members file them. Administrators flat encourage family members to retain an attorney.

Being trusty about mistakes has been proper for Veterans Affairs Medical Center's image. It also has helped the hospital financially. The national Veterans Affairs' average for settling hospital claims is $98000 compared to $15000 at the Lexington facility.

An fair Hospital: Hospital Cuts Malpractice Damage by means of Admitting Errors to Patients (new story, Lexington, Ky: John McKenzie, June 28 2001) http://www.abcnews.go .com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/hospital_accountability_010628.html (accessed 2 July 2001)

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