Yet again, another study indicates that the whole 'medical malpractice crisis' is an overblown attempt by the insurance industry to support a crumbling argument for tort reform. Frequently we are told that physicians are fleeing the practice of medicine because trial lawyers have caused malpractice insurance premiums to skyrocket. Massachusetts has been described by the AMA as such crisis state, with settlement payments for victims of physician negligence the fourth highest in the United States.... Yet, surprise, "[m]ost physicians paid lower inflation-adjusted premiums in 2005 than in 1990." The reality, as always, is that the insurance companies pump up the malpractice crisis in order to pump up their own profits.
Study by Health Affairs here.

"Hospitals are terrible places for sick people." Reaffirming the idea that, if you've got humans involved, you will have human error, a recent Forbes article discusses the seven scariest hospital risks. The article does an excellent job of detailing the inherent problems in our hospital industry, and offers helpful advice on how to avoid becoming the victim of medical mistakes which include surgeon errors, infection, and incorrect medications. The article observes that: "between 40,000 and 100,000 people die every year because of doctors' mistakes, including surgical mishaps and drug mix-ups. One big problem: Hospital patients may get the wrong drug one time out of five, according to a study by Auburn University. The death toll from mistakes is at least as bad as that from car accidents or breast cancer, and maybe as bad as that from strokes."

Medication Errors Injure 1.5 Million People and Cost Billions of Dollars Annually;
Report Offers Comprehensive Strategies for Reducing Drug-Related Mistakes Read More...