Proposed legislation from Washington seeks to give more rights and a voice to patients and families who claim they were negatively affected by a clinician's medical error, according to a Seattle Times news report.
House Bill 1493 would require medical disciplinary boards to quickly respond to queries about the status of ongoing investigations over medical error complaints; provide documentation once a case is closed; and offer explanations for rulings when deciding to reopen a case. The bill passed the state House and is due on the Senate floor for debate and a vote.
The proposed legislation stems from an apparent lack of transparency in the state's Medical Quality Assurance Commission, a disciplinary board that is not bound by law to disclose evidence collected during investigations and reasons for any rulings. In 2010 alone, MQAC investigated 950 medical error complaints and took disciplinary action in only 94 cases, according to the news report.
Under the proposed measure, individuals or families of those affected by a medical error have the right to discuss how they've been affected to disciplinary board members and recommend penalties. However, disciplinary boards would still not be required to disclose evidence or information during an ongoing investigation. There would also still be no appeals process.
Read the news report about House Bill 1493.
Read other coverage about patient safety legislation:
- Missouri Bill Seeks Penalties for Physicians Who Perform While Intoxicated
- Proposed Bill Requires Maine Hospitals to Screen High-Risk Patients for MRSA Before Admission
House Bill 1493 would require medical disciplinary boards to quickly respond to queries about the status of ongoing investigations over medical error complaints; provide documentation once a case is closed; and offer explanations for rulings when deciding to reopen a case. The bill passed the state House and is due on the Senate floor for debate and a vote.
The proposed legislation stems from an apparent lack of transparency in the state's Medical Quality Assurance Commission, a disciplinary board that is not bound by law to disclose evidence collected during investigations and reasons for any rulings. In 2010 alone, MQAC investigated 950 medical error complaints and took disciplinary action in only 94 cases, according to the news report.
Under the proposed measure, individuals or families of those affected by a medical error have the right to discuss how they've been affected to disciplinary board members and recommend penalties. However, disciplinary boards would still not be required to disclose evidence or information during an ongoing investigation. There would also still be no appeals process.
Read the news report about House Bill 1493.
Read other coverage about patient safety legislation:
- Missouri Bill Seeks Penalties for Physicians Who Perform While Intoxicated
- Proposed Bill Requires Maine Hospitals to Screen High-Risk Patients for MRSA Before Admission