Quote:
Originally posted by OthelloStreet
I think they need to write these forms in layman's terms so that an eighth grader (because I think the average adult can read on the eighth grade level) can understand exactly what is going one. I would like to think that this would take the confusion out of everything.
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You're right. At my hospital (M. D. Anderson) we're required to write consent forms at the
sixth-grade level. Things are different here because we're a specialized cancer center. Most of these mistakes occur at general hospitals where you have a l ittle bit of everything going on, w/ a couple of hot-shots on the side who call themselves oncologists. We've also got online charting started, and a digital prescription system, w/ a robotic dispensation process for inpatient care. 100% accurate in the past 5 years it's been running and a dream-come-true for those of us who don't want to read Dr Cantwrite's scribbles.
A couple of hospitals across the street from us (coughStLukescoughMethodistcough) sprint through the consent process. Then if their patients come to us for another opinion, we have to start all over again educating them, because there was NO way they got it the first time.
The point in the article about slides being misdiagnosed is absolutely true. Our pathology dept reports 25% of the diagnoses that accompany slides is wrong. Wrong to the point of changing the treatment plan: 17%.
A lot of us in medicine are equally PO'd and appalled at these kinds of mistakes. They are totally inexcusable and make the patient's life hell and any other doctor's job harder.
Adrienne