Feds halt best medical practices program ->
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modapi
modapi writes "Even common medical procedures can have their success rates dramatically improved by having doctors use checklists. But the Fed's Office for Human Research Protections of the Department of Health & Human Services has halted the practice, claiming the checklists are actually "human subject research" requiring informed consent. ZDnet's Robin Harris comments
"Human subject research requires the patient's informed consent for good reason. But once a "best practice" is defined, asking patients if they want it is, in effect, giving them the option to accept substandard care. How would this work in the ICU? I can see it now: Researcher: "Ms. At-Death's-Door? I need your informed consent for some human subject research. We're requiring doctors to perform procedures correctly by using checklists. You can also opt for our standard level of ineptitude."
He includes contact info and a suggested letter for people who want better health care practice."
Link to Original Source
"Human subject research requires the patient's informed consent for good reason. But once a "best practice" is defined, asking patients if they want it is, in effect, giving them the option to accept substandard care. How would this work in the ICU? I can see it now: Researcher: "Ms. At-Death's-Door? I need your informed consent for some human subject research. We're requiring doctors to perform procedures correctly by using checklists. You can also opt for our standard level of ineptitude."
He includes contact info and a suggested letter for people who want better health care practice."
Link to Original Source
