Recent Articles

Electronic health records may help reduce malpractice suits

December 29, 2008 19:43

The November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine discusses a new study that suggests that the use of electronic health records (EHRs) may help reduce paid malpractice settlements for physicians. An abstract of the article can be found here....The November 24 issue of Archives of Internal...

Hospital infection lawsuits on the rise

December 18, 2008 03:51

Hospital infections are on the rise and so are lawsuits that claim medical malpractice caused the infections. The Wisconsin Law Journal recently reported that "A new type of med-mal lawsuit is on the increase -- claims based on hospital infections."...Hospital infections are on the rise and so are...

Patient sues Chicago Hospital, doctor for contracting HIV and hepatitis from infected kidney donor

November 24, 2008 15:39

A Chicago transplant patient filed a medical negligence suit this week against the University of Chicago Medical Center and one of its surgeons, alleging that she contracted HIV and hepatitis C after receiving a kidney from an infected donor. The...A Chicago transplant patient filed a medical...

Growing Sense of Outrage Over Executive Pay

November 23, 2008 23:01

Finally, it appears that Wall Street executives are getting what they deserve. The Washington Post reports that bonuses this year are likely to be sharply lower than in years past. Johnson Associates, a compensation consulting firm, predicts annual incentive pay...Finally, it appears that Wall...

Minority Trauma Victims More Likely To Die Than Whites

November 17, 2008 16:07

Chicago Sun Times writer Monifa Thomas reports that Blacks and Hispanics who receive treatment for head injuries and other trauma are more likely to die than whites with similar injuries. New research also showed that regardless of race, uninsured trauma...Chicago Sun Times writer Monifa Thomas...

Failure to perform timely PSA tests leads parties to settle wrongful death case for $875,000

November 17, 2008 16:06

A recent wrongful death case involving claims that a doctor failed to diagnose prostate cancer settled for $875,000. The decedent’s estate claimed a hospital and treating physician failed to perform annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in the two years before...A recent wrongful death c...

Hospital and Illinois Drug Company sued for Heparin overdoes

September 30, 2008 02:39

The families of two newborns who died after they were inadvertently given massive doses of Heparin have sued an Indianapolis hospital and the Illinois-based company, Baxter Healthcare Corp., that makes the blood thinner. The Chicago Tribune reports that parents of...The families of two newborns who...

Does Linking Chicago Doctors’ Pay to Performance Mean Better Healthcare?

September 09, 2008 22:51

Does linking Chicago doctors’ pay to performance mean better healthcare? That’s essentially the question posed by Dr. Sandeep Juahar this week in the New York Times. Apparently, employers and insurers, including Medicare, have started about 100 initiatives across the country...Does linking Chicago d...

18 California Hospitals cited for substandard care

August 29, 2008 00:20

Shaya Tayefe Mohajer of the Associated Press recently reported that 18 hospitals in California were fined for state health code violations where patients received sub-par care that in some cases, led to death. Violations included an improperly inserted catheter, a...Shaya Tayefe Mohajer of the...

Supreme Court to hear arguments on Unconstitutionality of Illinois' Medical Malpractice caps

August 29, 2008 00:19

A lawsuit testing the constitutionality of Illinois' medical malpractice damage caps is expected to come before the Illinois’ Supreme Court this fall. The 2005 state law limits medical malpractice awards for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering to $500,000...A lawsuit testing the c...