Fetal ultrasounds use sound waves to produce pictures of the developing fetus, helping doctors monitor the baby's growth and detect any potential issues. They are a routine part of prenatal care in the United States, with most pregnant women receiving at least one...
Every day, drivers cause car accidents because they are distracted by their cellphones. Many of these drivers lament their decisions after the fact. They knew that distracted driving was dangerous, but they chose to use the phone anyway. One interesting thing to...
In 1986, Congress passed a law that established the National Practitioner Data Bank. From its inception, the NPDB has been used as a tool to facilitate peer review in the medical profession and to restrict the ability of incompetent doctors to hide substandard performance from licensing authorities by moving from state to state. Eventually, the NPDB transformed into a computerized…
Sex Abuse Articles I am honored to have participated in the Expert Group Meeting on Removal of Child Sex Abuse Material from the Internet hosted by the UK and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. 71 member States joined the call to action. We will keep up the good work as long as tech and child predators outpace the…
As heated debate continues on health insurance reform, there is wide political agreement about another health care issue – the need for more veterans funding. Rising demand for health care is squeezing the Department of Veterans Affairs, which in turn may be reducing the quantity and quality of health care for veterans. Addressing a backlog of over 1 million medical…
Consumers expect that the products they buy will be safe. Toasters should work without starting electrical fires; cars should accelerate and stop safely; and food should be safe from contaminants. When product abnormalities cause injuries or illnesses for consumers, they can form the basis of a product liability lawsuit. Potentially dangerous products can include toys, prescription drugs, tires and automobile…
In 2008, the Oregon Patient Safety Commission (OPSC) set a simple goal for itself – become the safest health care delivery system in the United States. The OPSC set out procedures and standards to measure progress in hospitals across the state. Noting that Oregon’s level of care was only “average” by any measurement, the OPSC’s objective was to use these standards to…
Walking down the average city street in America, it seems like almost everyone is plugged into an iPod, a Smartphone or some other mobile device that requires full auditory attention. According to one new study, the number of pedestrian accidents has been skyrocketing as more people slip in earbuds for their daily foot travel. According to a new study, traffic accident rates…
USAA Insurance, a company that provides insurance coverage exclusively to military members and their families, is being sued in a federal court in Portland, Oregon for purposely denying legitimate claims by its members. In its filings, the plaintiffs allege that USAA used medical reports by physicians to say treatment for injuries suffered in car crashes were not medically necessary in…
Research consistently shows that for nurses, the risk of making a medical error significantly increases when work shifts are longer than 12 hours, when nurses work overtime or when nurses work more than 40 hours per week. Yet, hospitals in many states continue to force nurses to work mandatory overtime, putting patients at risk and impairing many nurses’ job satisfaction.…