Comments on: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59974 Anonymous Sun, 05 Mar 2006 02:27:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59974 I say screw it. I paid $750k to Edwards company to settle a bs lawsuit for a brain damaged kid whose mother's life I saved by emergency surgery. Half the money went up her nose and half to Edwards campaign fund. The insurance company was concerned about the possibility of a multi-million dollar award and I was too disgusted to care. Call me "former obstetrician" if anonyomous is too, well anonymous I say screw it. I paid $750k to Edwards company to settle a bs lawsuit for a brain damaged kid whose mother’s life I saved by emergency surgery. Half the money went up her nose and half to Edwards campaign fund. The insurance company was concerned about the possibility of a multi-million dollar award and I was too disgusted to care. Call me “former obstetrician” if anonyomous is too, well anonymous

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59431 Anonymous Sun, 19 Feb 2006 01:35:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59431 welcome to the wonderful f#$ked world of american medicine. welcome to the wonderful f#$ked world of american medicine.

]]> By: Dr John Crippenhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59420 Dr John Crippen Sat, 18 Feb 2006 15:50:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59420 Gee, guys, I come to this one a day or two late. But I could feel the heat of the comments over here in the UK.<br/><br/>I have been a GP for twenty years, and I have never been sued. Nor have any of my nine partners, so that is 120 years without a malpractice suit. Does that mean we are better docs than you guys? Of course not. It is environment, and it's the courts, and yes, its those wretched lawyers.<br/><br/>Only recently have UK lawyers started working on a contingency, split the damages basis.<br/><br/>The UK courts however (I think mindful of the USA nightmare) are resolute in protecting doctors against the need to practice so called defensive medicine. In fact the expression "defensive medicine" is almost an oxymoron.<br/><br/>Defensive medicine means sujecting patients to unnecessary tests out of some misguided idea of "protecting" the doctor from litigation.<br/><br/>I am - and I do not use the word lightly - horrified to read the suggestion that every child presenting with a URI to the ER is routinely getting a CXR. I don't know if someone has totted up the radiation doses here but we are moving from diagnostic radiology to therapeutic.<br/><br/>Flea's practice seems to match with what we would do in the UK. Except I don't think we would "routinely" do even an Hb on a fit child.<br/><br/>What a nightmare for you all. <br/><br/>Mind you, our medical insurance costs are rising.<br/><br/>For interest: as a full time GP I pay about £450 a month for full insurance cover - and that covers me for an UNLIMITED amount and as many claims as may be made. And that would cover interpartum obstetrics if I did it ( I don't)<br/><br/>My wife, who is a diagnostic radiologist, pays £900 a month. That includes cover for interventional radiolgy, arteriograms, US guided biopsy etc etc<br/><br/>For both of us, this cover gives unlimited liability for as many claims as may arise (none yet, thank god) and, if there is a claim, the premium does not automatically go up.<br/><br/>How does that compare?<br/><br/><br/>John Gee, guys, I come to this one a day or two late. But I could feel the heat of the comments over here in the UK.

I have been a GP for twenty years, and I have never been sued. Nor have any of my nine partners, so that is 120 years without a malpractice suit. Does that mean we are better docs than you guys? Of course not. It is environment, and it’s the courts, and yes, its those wretched lawyers.

Only recently have UK lawyers started working on a contingency, split the damages basis.

The UK courts however (I think mindful of the USA nightmare) are resolute in protecting doctors against the need to practice so called defensive medicine. In fact the expression “defensive medicine” is almost an oxymoron.

Defensive medicine means sujecting patients to unnecessary tests out of some misguided idea of “protecting” the doctor from litigation.

I am – and I do not use the word lightly – horrified to read the suggestion that every child presenting with a URI to the ER is routinely getting a CXR. I don’t know if someone has totted up the radiation doses here but we are moving from diagnostic radiology to therapeutic.

Flea’s practice seems to match with what we would do in the UK. Except I don’t think we would “routinely” do even an Hb on a fit child.

What a nightmare for you all.

Mind you, our medical insurance costs are rising.

For interest: as a full time GP I pay about £450 a month for full insurance cover – and that covers me for an UNLIMITED amount and as many claims as may be made. And that would cover interpartum obstetrics if I did it ( I don’t)

My wife, who is a diagnostic radiologist, pays £900 a month. That includes cover for interventional radiolgy, arteriograms, US guided biopsy etc etc

For both of us, this cover gives unlimited liability for as many claims as may arise (none yet, thank god) and, if there is a claim, the premium does not automatically go up.

How does that compare?

John

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59375 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:48:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59375 CJD = Cares (about) Just Dollars CJD = Cares (about) Just Dollars

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59372 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:03:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59372 Yes, I also thought flea was a woman. and as for "Why, are you looking for a date?" Nah, my husband won't tolerate it, but if that is flea in that picture, he is hot! Yes, I also thought flea was a woman. and as for “Why, are you looking for a date?” Nah, my husband won’t tolerate it, but if that is flea in that picture, he is hot!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59370 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 12:40:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59370 Actually, I'm not a med mal lawyer. I use the anonymouse phrase when they all start hurling insults and I can't keep them straight.<br/><br/>CJD Actually, I’m not a med mal lawyer. I use the anonymouse phrase when they all start hurling insults and I can’t keep them straight.

CJD

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59369 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 11:59:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59369 CJD is a med mal lawyer who posts on this site. He will commonly use the term "anonymouse" to describe anyone else who doesn't sign their post with letters, implying that he is accountable by using those letters, but others aren't. Obviously people can be more honest (and rude) if they don't leave their real name.<br/>b CJD is a med mal lawyer who posts on this site. He will commonly use the term “anonymouse” to describe anyone else who doesn’t sign their post with letters, implying that he is accountable by using those letters, but others aren’t. Obviously people can be more honest (and rude) if they don’t leave their real name.
b

]]> By: Fleahttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59368 Flea Thu, 16 Feb 2006 10:14:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59368 Is <strong>anybody</strong> actually reading anybody elses posts?<br/><br/>The point of my post at 10:46 AM post yesterday was a rebuttal of the suggestion that docs <em>do not</em> practice DM.<br/><br/>The fact that I was awakened has nothing to with lack of respect for ER docs and stems from the fact that the call was of a non-urgent nature ("could you follow up on this in the AM?") and could have been left on my voice mail.<br/><br/>And where did everybody get the idea:<br/>1. That I'm a bad doctor because I've been sued twice? Is the proposition currently on the floor that "suit = mistake"?<br/><br/>2. Where did I indicate that I was proud of these suits? If I were I'd use my real identity. Would any of you discuss pending suits and use your real names?<br/><br/>3. What does CJD mean and why should I care if I'm in the same category?<br/><br/>best (really!)<br/><br/>Flea Is anybody actually reading anybody elses posts?

The point of my post at 10:46 AM post yesterday was a rebuttal of the suggestion that docs do not practice DM.

The fact that I was awakened has nothing to with lack of respect for ER docs and stems from the fact that the call was of a non-urgent nature (“could you follow up on this in the AM?”) and could have been left on my voice mail.

And where did everybody get the idea:
1. That I’m a bad doctor because I’ve been sued twice? Is the proposition currently on the floor that “suit = mistake”?

2. Where did I indicate that I was proud of these suits? If I were I’d use my real identity. Would any of you discuss pending suits and use your real names?

3. What does CJD mean and why should I care if I’m in the same category?

best (really!)

Flea

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59367 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 09:26:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59367 Jeez, I thought flea was a woman. Jeez, I thought flea was a woman.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/02/er-physician-talks-defensive-medicine.html#comment-59366 Anonymous Thu, 16 Feb 2006 06:46:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/02/20033.html#comment-59366 Why, looking for a date? Why, looking for a date?

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