An editorial in the Toronto Star today speaks to lifting secrecy from the medical realm. (To me) this is a call to arms … especially within a publicly funded health care system. (Duh).
Here are some of the highlights:
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1. 23 000+ ppl per year die in Canadian hospitals due to adverse events
2. access to information is dependent on jurisdiction and the POV of hospital administrators, not the Access to Information Act.
3. the dismal surgical record of an Ontario surgeon - not available to the public - led to more than a dozen women suffering physical and emotional harm under his care
Link.
Ontario legislators are debating health accountability legislation this week. How about siding with public safety on this one.
This article is the third in a series in the Star about coming clean about medical errors.
Check the first two out here and here.
-PC