“How we respond to [medical errors] defines who we are as individuals, organizations and our professions as a whole…”

These are the words of Timothy McDonald, MD, JD, Chief Safety and Risk Officer at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center. In the past, fearing more lawsuits, hospitals have been less than forthcoming in the face of medical errors that cause harm and even death. “Open and honest communication between caregivers and their patients and families starts the process of healing and closure – for both the patient and the caregiver.” This can reduce the risk of litigation and help health professionals learn from their mistakes. Dr. McDonald reports that lawsuits have dropped 40% from the prior 5 years at his own facility.

To read the entire Wall Street Journal article, go to blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/08/24/pitching-patient-safety-and-hospital-transparency-on-youtube/. McDonald and his colleague, Dave Mayer, MD have produced a series of videos on this important issue. Here’s a sample::

“Heavy emphasis on smoking cessation while patients are in the hospital recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery or acute MI doubles long-term quit rates…”

This teachable moment “could have a major impact on health and healthcare costs,” according to Patricia M. Smith, PhD, of Northern Ontario School of Medicine in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Ellen Burgess, MD, of the University of Calgary, Alberta. Their yearlong study showed 54% abstinence rate versus 35% for those with minimal smoking cessation support.

They relate that although smoking cessation interventions have been an accepted strategy for many years, often they aren’t done. One contributing factor undercutting secondary prevention efforts appears to be a gap between in-patient and out-patient follow-up care. Nancy A. Rigotti, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard points out, “Hospitals do not see care after discharge as their responsibility and are not eager to bear the cost.”

To read the entire article in MedPage Today, go to www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Smoking/