Do you think that Universal or Nationalized Healthcare is going to make things better? Sheer numbers of patients will cause more human error. Take a look at this example from 2003.
Surgical Tools Left in 1,500 Patients Per Year
A study done by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston was published in the January 16, 2003 New England Journal of Medicine reported on the high number of surgical tools left inside patients during surgery.
The study on medical mistakes found that operating room teams around the country leave sponges, clamps and other tools inside about 1,500 patients every year, largely because of stress from emergencies or complications discovered during surgery. The researchers checked insurance records from about 800,000 operations in Massachusetts for 16 years ending in 2001. They counted 61 forgotten pieces of surgical equipment in 54 patients. From that, they calculated a national estimate of 1,500 cases yearly. A total of $3 million was paid out in the Massachusetts cases, mostly in settlements.
The study showed that two-thirds of the mistakes happened even though the equipment was counted before and after the procedure, in keeping with the standard practice. It also claimed that these types of mistakes happen more often to fat patients, simply because there is more room inside them to lose equipment.
Most lost objects were sponges, but also included were metal clamps and electrodes. In two cases, 11-inch retractors, metal strips used to hold back tissue, were forgotten inside patients. The study found that emergency operations are nine times more likely to lead to such mistakes, and operating-room complications requiring a change in procedure are four times more likely. The lost objects were usually lodged around the abdomen or hips but sometimes in the chest, vagina or other cavities. They often caused tears, obstructions or infections. One patient died of complications.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, health research director of the public-interest lobby group Public Citizen, said the real number of lost instruments may be even higher, because hospitals are not required to report such mistakes to public agencies. Dr. Kaveh Shojania, author of a 2001 federal study on medical mistakes, summed the report up by saying, "Something has to be done about this. It's just a very tough balance to decide."
CLICK HERE for SOURCE.
Showing posts with label Universal Health records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Universal Health records. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Real ID Being Reconsidered.
How REAL ID will help turn all of America into a giant HMO
April 8th, 2009 10:30 am | by Mike Miller | Published in Big Government, Constitution, DownsizeDC.org, Health Care, Liberty, Market Regulation, Politics, REAL ID, congress, law |
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day: “The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been . . . the main source of mischief and disaster.” — Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) Economist and social philosopher
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has pledged to review/reconsider the REAL ID national identity card.
It’s not hard to see why. Many Americans hate REAL ID, and 22 states have refused to comply with the program. DC Downsizers alone have bombarded Congress with 112,227 message demanding that REAL ID be repealed. So . . .
Should we be happy that Napolitano wants to review the REAL ID program? Not very. At best, we believe the outcome will be to . . .
* Repackage the program, perhaps under a new name
* Divide the program into parts, so it can be implemented in stages, such as with the TWIC program
* Concoct ways to bribe and coerce state governments to submit to the revised program
It’s hard to envision that REAL ID will really disappear, until or unless we compel Congress to repeal the authorizing legislation. In fact, we believe that REAL ID, in one form or another, is part of a grand scheme to empower the federal government to track everyone and everything at all times! This grand scheme includes . . .
* The National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
* A new system being devised to track food products
* The NSA system of universal warrantless spying on Americans
* And the new federal program to create universal electronic health records
We believe that all of these programs will eventually be combined to give the Feds “total information awareness.”
Are we being hysterical? Many would claim that we are, and they could point to aspects of current government plans that fall far short of being able to “track everyone and everything at all times.” But such criticisms miss a crucial point. The evidence is overwhelming that government programs . . .
* Tend to grow larger
* Nearly always come to include features the politicians promised they would never have
We predict that, should some version of REAL ID come into existence, it will eventually be combined with all the other tracking and surveillance systems described above. Most importantly . . .
We predict that your REAL ID will be combined with universal electronic medical records to control the kind of health care you receive.
We see the writing on the wall, and it says that the federal government is going to turn the entire United States health system into a giant HMO, with all of your medical procedures controlled by far off bureaucrats. This control will be enforced through something resembling REAL ID, tied to your electronic health records.
Is this what you want? If not, please use our Educate the Powerful system to ask your representatives to repeal the REAL ID Act. Use your personal comments to object to . . .
* The vast array of databases and tracking systems the politicians are creating
* Any attempt to implement something like REAL ID in bits and pieces
Tell them you want REAL ID repealed, not revised.
If you’ve used our Educate the Powerful System before, the best way to send your message, given our current technical difficulties, is to log-in using the log-in button at the top of our home page.
Then, click on the campaign button on the navigation strip at the top of the page, then click on the “REAL ID” campaign button at the top of the left hand column. That will call-up the page for sending your message.
If you’re sending your first message to Congress, click on this link, fill out the simple registration form for first time users, and send your message.
Ask your friends to join you in taking action by forwarding this message.
And consider Digging this Dispatch from the home page blog.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army. Yesterday, 24,773 subscribers received the Downsizer-Dispatch.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc
Liberty Maven
April 8th, 2009 10:30 am | by Mike Miller | Published in Big Government, Constitution, DownsizeDC.org, Health Care, Liberty, Market Regulation, Politics, REAL ID, congress, law |
D o w n s i z e r - D i s p a t c h
Quote of the Day: “The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments. The state can be, and has often been . . . the main source of mischief and disaster.” — Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) Economist and social philosopher
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has pledged to review/reconsider the REAL ID national identity card.
It’s not hard to see why. Many Americans hate REAL ID, and 22 states have refused to comply with the program. DC Downsizers alone have bombarded Congress with 112,227 message demanding that REAL ID be repealed. So . . .
Should we be happy that Napolitano wants to review the REAL ID program? Not very. At best, we believe the outcome will be to . . .
* Repackage the program, perhaps under a new name
* Divide the program into parts, so it can be implemented in stages, such as with the TWIC program
* Concoct ways to bribe and coerce state governments to submit to the revised program
It’s hard to envision that REAL ID will really disappear, until or unless we compel Congress to repeal the authorizing legislation. In fact, we believe that REAL ID, in one form or another, is part of a grand scheme to empower the federal government to track everyone and everything at all times! This grand scheme includes . . .
* The National Animal Identification System (NAIS)
* A new system being devised to track food products
* The NSA system of universal warrantless spying on Americans
* And the new federal program to create universal electronic health records
We believe that all of these programs will eventually be combined to give the Feds “total information awareness.”
Are we being hysterical? Many would claim that we are, and they could point to aspects of current government plans that fall far short of being able to “track everyone and everything at all times.” But such criticisms miss a crucial point. The evidence is overwhelming that government programs . . .
* Tend to grow larger
* Nearly always come to include features the politicians promised they would never have
We predict that, should some version of REAL ID come into existence, it will eventually be combined with all the other tracking and surveillance systems described above. Most importantly . . .
We predict that your REAL ID will be combined with universal electronic medical records to control the kind of health care you receive.
We see the writing on the wall, and it says that the federal government is going to turn the entire United States health system into a giant HMO, with all of your medical procedures controlled by far off bureaucrats. This control will be enforced through something resembling REAL ID, tied to your electronic health records.
Is this what you want? If not, please use our Educate the Powerful system to ask your representatives to repeal the REAL ID Act. Use your personal comments to object to . . .
* The vast array of databases and tracking systems the politicians are creating
* Any attempt to implement something like REAL ID in bits and pieces
Tell them you want REAL ID repealed, not revised.
If you’ve used our Educate the Powerful System before, the best way to send your message, given our current technical difficulties, is to log-in using the log-in button at the top of our home page.
Then, click on the campaign button on the navigation strip at the top of the page, then click on the “REAL ID” campaign button at the top of the left hand column. That will call-up the page for sending your message.
If you’re sending your first message to Congress, click on this link, fill out the simple registration form for first time users, and send your message.
Ask your friends to join you in taking action by forwarding this message.
And consider Digging this Dispatch from the home page blog.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army. Yesterday, 24,773 subscribers received the Downsizer-Dispatch.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc
Liberty Maven
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)