http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/ Published by Patrick Malone & Associates, P.C. en-us 2010-02-11T20:14:41-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/texas_nurse_found_not_guilty_f.html A small victory for patient safety has come in west Texas, where a jury took less than an hour to acquit Anne Mitchell, a nurse who had been indicted on felony charges for reporting a doctor to the state medical... Medical Malpractice Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-11T20:14:41-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/big_profits_in_cutting_corners.html The handsome silver-haired doctor in the long white coat, standing at the nurse's station in a photograph accompanying a New York Times story, is the national medical director for a chain of for-profit long-term care hospitals. But he puts in... Standard of Care--Hospitals Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-11T09:55:00-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/fda_has_new_initiative_on_exce.html The scandal about injuries to cancer patients from malpractice in radiation therapy has had one beneficial side effect: the Food and Drug Administration is gaining urgency and attention for its new initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation in diagnostic imaging of... Radiation Therapy Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-10T14:36:39-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/back_surgeon_is_hit_with_large.html This blog has a recurring theme of urging patients to be careful about the alleged wonders of minimally invasive surgery, and also to check a surgeon's credentials and experience carefully. These themes both come out in a new story about... Medical Malpractice Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-09T14:48:18-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/can_a_nurse_go_to_prison_for_r.html That question is now on trial in a small west Texas town, where a nurse stands accused of a felony for reporting a doctor whom she thought was guilty of malpractice on patients. Even if the nurse is acquitted, the... Health Care Reform Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-08T14:19:07-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/judicial_elections_and_medical.html Once they understand what "tort reform" tries to do to victims of medical malpractice, most fair-minded people agree it's just not fair to put artificial legislative limits on the amount of money a patient can recover in a lawsuit. Such... Medical Malpractice Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-05T15:12:46-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/medical_malpractice_too_many_l.html This question can be answered -- perhaps unscientifically but with arresting examples nonetheless -- by just one week's worth of news. Joanne Doroshow of the Center for Justice and Democracy did a roundup of the evidence and posted her findings... Medical Malpractice Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-05T12:12:13-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/health_cares_everexpanding_sha.html These sobering numbers show the urgency of "bending the cost curve down," as the pundits like to say. Unfortunately the urgency of reforming the safety and quality of health care has taken a far back seat to the money discussion. They actually are compatible goals. Accessibility of Healthcare Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-04T11:02:22-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/a_hospital_safety_credential_w.html To avoid becoming a malpractice victim, and to get the highest quality care, a useful safety credential for patients to look for in researching hospitals is called NSQUIP. NSQUIP stands for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, developed by the... Hospitals Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-03T13:16:38-05:00 http://www.protectpatientsblog.com/2010/02/a_doctor_chooses_paid_speeches.html New ethics rules that bar Harvard doctors from giving speeches paid by drug manufacturers have prompted one doctor to give up his prestigious academic position in favor of keeping the income from the speeches. The physician is Dr. Lawrence M.... Medications Patrick A. Malone 2010-02-02T14:21:17-05:00