Patient Safety: Criminal Acts and Prevention

This week has been Patient Safety Awareness Week, calling healthcare safety problems to the attention of patients and their loved ones. Earlier this week we dealt with MRSA and other superbug infections, drug errors and errors that take place during surgery.

But this post is about real criminal acts -- problems precipitated by anything from substance abuse, to sexual abuse, to kidnapping, all of which can damage patients, and all of which we must be aware of.

The National Quality Forum listed 28 safety violations it calls "never events." Among them are events such as kidnapping while someone is in the hospital (we hear this happen in hospital nurseries) and sexual assault on patients (we hear this in regards to nursing homes sometimes, or even psychiatrists taking advantage of their patients.)

Not listed, but just as problematic are doctors or other healthcare workers who try to perform their duties while under the influence of alcohol or drugs -- any chemical substance. In California, there is a push right now to expose these professionals before they can harm patients any further -- an initiative being fought by doctor's associations.

Last week I met a woman who had been diagnosed with macular degeneration several years ago. Many strides have been made in its treatment, and she would read about them, or hear about them, but her doctor would just throw up his hands and tell her he couldn't help her. She finally sought out a new doctor and received a treatment that saved her vision. Later she heard her original doctor had lost his license because of malpractice due to alcohol abuse.

None of us ever thinks we will be the victims of crime, especially while we are seeking care. But like any profession, healthcare has its bad apples, too. OR -- the facilities in which we seek treatment just aren't secure enough. And that can be dangerous and deadly for patients.

Savvy patients are aware of the potential for these kinds of problems, and trust their own judgment when it comes to assessing the people or facilities from which we seek care.
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