The law mandates that any complaint against a hospital concerning patient care be investigated. Also, hospitals must display a toll-free complaint number for patients. Reception from the medical community is mixed. Many doctors and hospitals warn full disclosure will only discourage health care professionals from revealing medical mistakes, but peer review systems have been in place for over 14 years and simply don t work. Errors simply slide into the abyss of risk management and nothing changes.
Full disclosure improves patients safety and confidence.
A Lexington, Kentucky VA hospital found that it reduced its claims payments from among the highest in its class to among the lowest. Additionally, the its liability has been moderate and comparable to those of similar facilities. Janet Rice, president of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association, dismisses fear of increased litigation, noting that medical malpractice cases represent a tiny percentage of civil lawsuits filed in Washington. Only 515 medical malpractice suits were filed in 1998. Nothing short of the truth will heal the system, says Rice.