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Teaching Hospitals- Do No Harm?

Let's face it: Americans are used to news of the healthcare crisis that is ongoing in this country. Regardless of what side of the aisle your politics fall, the fact is that there are hundreds of thousands of people, many right here in Kansas and Missouri, who do without adequate healthcare. Many of the areas uninsured and underinsured make use of county and government funded hospitals when they need to see a doctor.

The idea is a good one, isn't it? Healthcare is available for those in need, and in turn the hospitals provide valuable teaching experiences for doctors in training. What could be wrong with this system? Seems like a win-win for everyone, right?

Not when you consider the "July Effect", a term coined by researchers who have studied the decades of death certificate statistics on the effects of the month medical students graduate and become residents. The amount of harm caused by residents' medical errors is staggering. July is a very dangerous month for patients to check into teaching hospitals. In fact, the rate of death to patients spikes as much as ten percent during the month of July.

Besides the obvious inexperience of new residents, why are teaching hospitals so dangerous? Consider for one the typical work week of the average medical resident. Twenty-four hour shifts and 80 hour weeks are not uncommon. Hailed at times as a rite of passage for young doctors, the simple truth is that sleep deprivation causes fatal errors. Over-the-road truck drivers are limited to 11 hour shifts, after which they must stay away from the wheel for a minimum of 10 hours according to federal law. Why would an inexperienced resident be charged with making life and death decisions after a work shift that can exceed 24 hours?

Consider the fact that about half of all hospital patients in the US are seen in teaching hospitals. Seventy percent of so-called "charity case" patients are treated in these hospitals. Industry researchers cite the self-regulation of the medical field as a large part of the problem as well. Administrators fail to make the changes necessary to ensure that the safest quality care model is used. Change is slow to non-existent, though there have been those who have stepped up to lead the charge to better standards and better care.

Dr. Bertrand Bell, who led efforts in New York state to better resident doctor standards, also cites the fact that too many important decisions fall upon residents to make alone. In other words, residents are given too much of the say over patient care, at a time when even they understand they are not prepared. Recent studies surveyed residents about their confidence levels in their own decision making ability. The study, cited by researchers at johns Hopkins University, found that 42 percent of the residents felt unqualified to perform medical procedures on their own for the first time.

The federal government's own statistics estimate that as many as 15,000 Medicare patients are killed in hospitals per month, due in large part to preventable errors. Another study by researchers at Harvard University found that a third of medical malpractice claims involved residents. The study, which examined a 20 year span of claims, found that inexperience and insufficient supervision were contributing factors to the errors.

If you or a loved one have been harmed by the actions of a medial resident or medical errors in a teaching hospital, the Kansas City medical malpractice attorneys at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys offer you a no cost initial consultation. To schedule your consultation, call 888-348-2616. You can also download your free copy of the resource guide The Truth About Medical Malpractice Claims for more information.

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