The death certificate helps tells a fuller story of Bill Paxton’s final days. Reporters should make a habit of seeking them out, since they can be revealing repositories of information.
Are California hospitals doing a better job of preventing serious mistakes in the wake of a state program that issues high-profile penalties for such errors? One reporter finds reasons for doubt in the data.
In California, fines up to $125,000 per preventable mistake have not made a significant dent in the number of medical errors. Despite recent gains, the number is still higher than when the state’s program began nine years ago.
Doug Wojcieszak talks about why doctors should apologize — not clam up — over their medical errors, and why some patients criticize his Sorry Works! program.
Three more questions you should pursue based on the debate over the SorryWorks! program, which protects doctors who apologize for medical errors that harm patients.
An oncologist offers his perspective on medical errors. The driving force is fear and guilt: fear for the mistakes you might make, guilt for the mistakes you already made.
Should a doctor be able to say sorry to a patient who has been harmed and then avoid the repercussions of the error?
Efforts to change laws to encourage doctors to apologize for medical errors while avoiding lawsuits have sparked debate over whether patient safety will be compromised. Here's why.
Sometimes, knowing what's on a person's death certificate can lead to a public benefit. So why do some states make death certificates private and others consider them public documents?
Atul Gawande, surgeon and staff writer for The New Yorker, is one of the most prominent voices speaking about patient safety in the United States. But in his latest New Yorker contribution, "Personal Best: Should everyone have a coach?," the "everyone" in question here is, not surprisingly, just the physician.
