Intimidation Leading To Malpractice?
Outbursts and other forms of verbal abuse from doctors towards other employees of hospitals is becoming a big problem, especially as it relates to medial malpractice cases. The Joint Commission, which is a national hospital accrediting agency, now claims that evidence of such behavior is pointing to more and more medical errors.
Dr. Mark Chassin, president of the Joint Commission, said growing emphasis on preventing medical errors has made it clear that a culture of intimidation contributes to the mistakes.
"It’s a problem that goes underreported, threatens patient safety and has become so ingrained in health care that it’s rarely talked about," Chassin told reporters Wednesday.
While intimidation only seems to occur in four to six percent of doctors and other hospital staff, that is a huge percentage when it comes to life and death issues. Modifying a system that pertains to strict violations against those who intimidate could go a long way into giving patients better care and prevent medical malpractice issues.