At a medical conference, a speaker came up with a
radical proposal.
People regularly come to an emergency room complaining
of chest pain, he said. Most are not having a heart attack, but doctors do a
careful exam and many tests and often observe them for hours. Even if little
turns up, doctors lean over backwards to admit someone with a possible heart
attack. In the end, some are so obviously not having a heart attack that the
doctor sends them home.
But medicine is not perfect, he added. Three percent of
those sent home are having a heart attack. They sue the hospital and win.
Over the years, hospitals have become more liberal about
admitting patients with chest pain. But, in the end, some are sent home.
No matter. Three percent are having a heart attack, and
they sue. The average payout is over $400,000.
“It’s an impossible situation. What can a hospital do?”
asked the speaker. He went on to suggest a tactic for a doctor who decides that
a patient isn’t having a heart attack and can be sent home. Current hit-man
rates are $10,000 per.
“Do the math,” he said.
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