Although listed at #9 in the new National Institute for Patient Rights survey, the violation of a patient/advocate’s right to know the identity and professional status of those who care for the patient contained some of the most poignant responses in our survey results. Some of the narrative statements were truly heartbreaking.
Fifteen percent of participants claimed to have suffered some "significant harm" as a result of medical error. Eight-six percent of those said if they had had ready access to information about the identity and professional status of their providers, they would have had second thoughts about consenting to treatment.
Said one respondent, “I am permanently disabled because of what a doctor did to me. I found out only much later and through my lawyer the hospital knew the doctor caused similar problems in the past with other patients. Why didn’t they just tell me?!”
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