Are never events to become the new class action lawsuits in healthcare? WSJ:
On July 30, a jury awarded over $2.5 million to James Klotz and his wife Mary in a medical malpractice lawsuit against a heart surgeon, his group practice and St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. In 2004 Mr. Klotz, now 69, was rushed to the hospital with a heart attack and a pacemaker was surgically implanted. He developed a drug-resistant staph infection called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It was so severe that he underwent 15 additional operations, spent 84 days in the hospital and lost his right leg, part of his left foot, a kidney and most of his hearing.
But now there is proof that nearly all hospital infections are avoidable when doctors and staff clean their hands and rigorously practice proper hygiene and other preventive measures.
The evidence justifying Medicare’s new policy is compelling. Central line bloodstream infections, caused by the contamination of certain devices, are preventable. Hospital patients in intensive care are commonly medicated through a tube inserted into a vein. The risk is that bacteria will invade the tube and enter the bloodstream. Rigorous hygiene, including clean hands, sterile drapes, and careful cleaning of the insertion site with chlorhexidine soap, can keep bacteria away from the tube.
Will the occurrence of a never event provide the presumption of negligent action?

2 Comments
The “Never Event” is unfortunately named. In Australia a list of similar events are called Critical Indicators. I accept that they are preventable, but it is hard to say never in medicine and these things happen. By calling it a “Never” event, it suggests compensation. That may be reasonable, but it is impressive for the political system to stack things that way.
I think “never event” was chosen because it will not be reimbursed (negative compensation). But, with the law of unintended consequences, I suspect it will be used to seek tort compensation.
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