Comments on: A "black box" in the OR http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/05/black-box-in-or.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gasman http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/05/black-box-in-or.html/comment-page-1#comment-63325 Gasman Tue, 23 May 2006 16:55:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/05/a-black-box-in-the-or.html#comment-63325 It's not just semantics. It is stated that the black box would detect malpractice in the OR but this is just not true. If it were somehow actively monitoring the situation and could give immediate and useful feedback then we could call it a 'detector'. But it is nothing more than a recorder, that detects and monitors nothing. It merely allows the nature of malpractice speculation to change. Arguments about the order of events, timing of actions and drugs, and other such matters will be more settled so the focus will merely shift to matters that a visual and vital signs record cannot clarify.<br/><br/>Such a device would not matter in the least for most cases. My only suit involved a patient asking for 6 million dollars for the 2 cm scar on his arm from an infiltrated IV. Nutty suits will always be with us as long as the plaintiff and attorney have little to loose by filing. It’s not just semantics. It is stated that the black box would detect malpractice in the OR but this is just not true. If it were somehow actively monitoring the situation and could give immediate and useful feedback then we could call it a ‘detector’. But it is nothing more than a recorder, that detects and monitors nothing. It merely allows the nature of malpractice speculation to change. Arguments about the order of events, timing of actions and drugs, and other such matters will be more settled so the focus will merely shift to matters that a visual and vital signs record cannot clarify.

Such a device would not matter in the least for most cases. My only suit involved a patient asking for 6 million dollars for the 2 cm scar on his arm from an infiltrated IV. Nutty suits will always be with us as long as the plaintiff and attorney have little to loose by filing.

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