Bravo. Physicians are using big-screen TVs in their waiting rooms to warn and educate patients on the impending physician shortage:
One 60-second spot describes a scarcity of radiologists in the Bronx who are willing to perform mammograms because liability costs are too high. The message aims to change the way patients think about malpractice, doctors said, adding that by airing the advertisements they aim to shore up legislative support, and to inform patients that higher insurance costs could mean they’ll have to pay higher fees.“I don’t think it’s going to keep anyone from suing, but I think the public has to know where the health care dollars are going,” a Manhattan internist, Dr. Margaret Lewin, said. “My objective is to educate the patient as to what’s going on politically, so if they can join us in making some changes that would be terrific,” Dr. Lewin, who is president of the New York County Medical Society, said.
Related posts:
- NY malpractice crisis: Passing the buck
- The public isn’t convinced about a single-payer system
- Ann Coulter on doctors and lawyers
- Should a public plan option be part of any health reform initiative?
- Is health care a public good?
- Physician benevolence leading to the uninsured crisis?
- Malpractice fears are killing off the natural childbirth movement
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 9 comments }
Discussing malpractice in the waiting room is a dumb idea, as it is more likely to put ideas in the heads of people who hadnot previously thought of it. I discussed this many months ago in:
Medical Malpractice Politics In The Doctor’s Waiting Room Is A Bad Idea
Ditto. In fact, the lawyer that defended me a few years ago, informed me that while he was sitting in our waiting room, there were 3 ads on the TV by malpractice firms seeking plaintiffs. He suggested that I remove the TV from the waiting room! I did.
Not so sure that this article was a good example at curbing the malpractice crisis. You are welcome to read my take on the issue:
Misguided Attempt at Influencing Patient and Political Behavior
From my point of view, that is exactly what needs to be done – just like was done in New Jersey in 2003, when many doctors took out all the magazines and left educational literature regarding the malpractice crisis (yes, you trial lawyers out there – crisis) in their waiting rooms. Next thing we should do is educate families about the cost of keeping dead people alive on ventilators…
I cannot believe that a person makes a decision whether or not to sue based on either the cost of medical care, or on some sleek laywer ad, which ever the case might be.
People sue if 1. they are looking to hit the jackpot or 2. they feel they were injured and they feel that their physician didn’t care.
To Anonymous @ 4:41 –
Educating patients is one thing, but MedLinkTV is an advertising venue. Certainly, MedLink International was not simply being altruistic in providing free 40″ flat-screen TVs to members of certain medical societies in NY.
And I agree the more patients and their families understand the issues and costs surrounding extending end-of-life care, the medical community will benefit.
So patients agree there is a “crisis”? How much more money do you physicians want in your pocket to declare the “crisis” over?
If you really want to educate, maybe you should go about it another way? Instead of talking specifically about malpractice, the ads could talk about which tests are recommended which are not, why aren’t some of great new just-saw-on-TV tests aren’t recommended, why early detection doesn’t always make a difference, rates of false positives, limitations of recommended tests, risks of some tests. While you are at that, you may have a video on antibiotic resistance and side effects. Or discuss accuracy (or not) of some medical news. And try to make it interesting.
People don’t make decisions to sue or not to sue based on the effect of their lawsuit on society in general. You will not change mind of people in dermdoc’s group 1., but people in group 2 make decisions on if they were injured based on what they know. Improve their knowledge.
Or how about you physicians educate yourselves, and realize that the reason people sue is because of how you treat them. Patients regularly forgive physicians all kinds of errors, they just want to be treated as people, and have things explained to them. Studies have shown that losing the arrogance and spending just 3 minutes more with your patient will reduce your malpractice exposure far more than lobbying on behalf of your insurer ever will.
Comments on this entry are closed.