The recent removal of a publicly accessed medical database could have a negative impact on patient safety. Journalism organizations and consumer groups are asking the Obama administration to reverse its decision to remove public access to a database maintained as a part of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). The database contained records of physician discipline and medical malpractice lawsuits.
On September 1, 2011, in response to a complaint by a Kansas neurosurgeon, who was concerned that his personal information had been accessed through the public web site, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which operates the NPDB, removed the database from its web site. Federal law mandates that personal information about physicians must remain confidential.
The NPDB is regularly utilized by state medical boards, insurers and hospitals to identify trends in disciplinary actions and malpractice awards. The portion of the database available for public access had physician names and addresses deleted. For years, journalists and other consumer groups used the public access portion of the database as a source of information for stories aimed at educating the public about trends in physician malpractice and other lapses in patient safety.
Effect of the Database's Removal
One of the most significant potential consequences of the database's removal is that the public will likely be less informed about mistakes made in the medical industry. Charles Ornstein, president of the Association of Health Care Journalists, said, "Reporters across the country have used the public use file to write stories that have exposed serious lapses in the oversight of doctors that have put patients at risk."
In addition, without the journalists' ability to analyze and expose physician mistakes and lapses in the oversight of the healthcare industry, patient safety could be negatively affected. "Their stories have led to new legislation, additional levels of transparency in various states, and kept medical boards focused on issues of patient safety," said Ornstein. For example, journalists used the database to expose the lax and secret system of doctor discipline in Missouri. This led to a new state law which granted patients more access to information about their doctors.
With the removal of the database, the public has lost a valuable safeguard against the negligence of health care providers serving their local communities. When a medical providers fails to provide the standard of care that the medical community demands, he or she may have committed malpractice. If you or a loved one has suffered due to the behavior of a negligent healthcare provider, contact an attorney to be advised of your legal rights.
