Henry
Before you go to crazy about this I suggest for some background reading (a
quick synopsis - if that's possible) of human error.
i. Reason James (2000): Human Error: models and Management BMJ Vol 320
768 -770 Excellent background
THEN for the real meaty stuff read
Kohn LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS (Eds)(1999) "To err is human: building a
safer health system" , National Academy Press Washington.
This a report prepared for the American National Academy of Sciences by some
of the most pre-eminent scientist etc etc over there
PS on page 15 of the preface, they suggest that the ..'number of deaths may
be as high as 98 000 (for 1997) - this is an extrapolated figure and is the
top of the range. However It is not half as simple as blaming the physicians
Try http://books.nap.edu/html
cheers
dave riddell
physio
----- Original Message -----
From: "Henry Tsao" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 1:31 PM
Subject: Do doctors kill?
> To all:
>
> Recently, I was discussing the issue of physicians referring patients to
us
> with my employer. He tended to be very anti-physician, and yet more than
> half of his business is referral based. On further questioning, he stated
> that doctors killed more people than certain diseases. I asked for a
> reference, and he sent me one today written by Dr J. Wallach (who is
> apparently a ND and Vet turned self-pronounced health guru),
>
> "The last thing I will share with you on that subject of avoiding the
> landmines, I suggest very strongly to you that you avoid going to doctors.
> Because given half a chance they will kill you. And I am going to back up
> that statement (which is a pretty strong statement) with a statement from
> Ralph Nader's group in January of 1993. Just about a year and a half ago,
> January 13th, he put out a news release based on a 3 year study on the
> causes of death in American hospitals. It was a 1500 page report, a 3 year
> study, I'm not going to waste your time or mine by going over the whole
> thing word for word, but the bottom line says a lot. And here it is,
quote,
> this is from Ralph Nader now, (he's a consumer advocate for those of you
who
> don't know him, he watches out for us), "300,000 Americans are killed each
> year in hospitals alone as a result of medical negligence." He didn't say
> they slipped away quietly, out of neglect in the corner somewhere, while
> they were waiting for an xray. He used the word 'kill'. And when you use
the
> word 'killed', that means there was a procedure the doctor was doing that
> went wrong somehow. That means that gave them a wrong prescription, they
put
> a decimal point in the wrong spot and gave them an incorrect dosage."
>
> My question is has anybody got good article or stats to back or refute
> this?? Furthermore, does anybody have stats on how many people physicians
or
> the medical profession cure/save?? I just think for a Physiotherapist to
> have such a bad view on physicians is not very "healthy."
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Henry***
>
>
>
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