Study of the factors causing medical disputes in a Third-Level Grade A Hospital in Shanghai.

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing cases of medical disputes occurred in one of top hospitals in Shanghai from 2012 to 2014, the paper tries to determine the causes and cures of the disputes based on relevant national and international experience. METHODS: A cluster sample of medical disputes occurred in the hospital from 2012 to 2014 was selected, to which logistic regression analysis was applied in order to determine the factors causing medical disputes. RESULTS: Inadequate experience in dealing with unexpected incidents (P = 0.002), violation of routine procedures for diagnosis and treatment (P = 0.004), and therapeutic effects (P = 0.007) were found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Medical disputes in the hospital would be substantially reduced by taking such measures as strengthening trainings on how to deal with unexpected incidents for medical staff, standardizing procedures for clinical practices, and improving the therapeutic effects of various diseases.

Medicare and Amyloid PET Imaging: The Battle Over Evidence.

We examine a recent dispute regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) refusal to unconditionally pay for amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging for Medicare beneficiaries being assessed for Alzheimer's disease. CMS will only pay for amyloid PET imaging when patients are enrolled in clinical trials that meet certain criteria. The dispute reflects CMS's willingness in certain circumstances to require effectiveness evidence that differs from the Food and Drug Administration's standard for pre-market approval of a medical intervention and reveals how stakeholders with differing perspectives about evidentiary standards have played a role in attempting to shape the Medicare program's coverage policies.

[Effect of MRSA on treatment and care in Finland - applications for compensation and complaints in 1993 to 2012]. / MRSA:n vaikutus hoitoon ja hoivaan Suomessa - korvausanomukset ja kantelut 1993-2012.

Events involving applications for compensation or filing a complaint in a MRSA case in Finland by patients or family members were studied for over a twenty-year period. The number of cases found was 305. Of the applications, only 7% resulted in compensation, and none of the complaints led to a change in decision. The discontentment was more commonly associated with the possible MRSA-induced impairment of the given treatment or limitations in freedom than with the fear of the direct health effects of the infection. In order to avoid problems, essential aspects include an intimate knowledge of guidelines among those working in the treatment and care sector, and proper informing of the patients about the effects of MRA on life.

Reap what you sow. Group reaps millions in unpaid claims with claima dispute process.

Read the story of one group's efforts to recoup money owed from unpaid claims with a systematic approach. The partnership of emergency physicians, urgent care physicians and hospitalists recoups about $4 million annually from these efforts.

Gambling problems in the family--a stratified probability sample study of prevalence and reported consequences.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies on the impact of problem gambling in the family mainly include help-seeking populations with small numbers of participants. The objective of the present stratified probability sample study was to explore the epidemiology of problem gambling in the family in the general population. METHODS: Men and women 16-74 years-old randomly selected from the Norwegian national population database received an invitation to participate in this postal questionnaire study. The response rate was 36.1% (3,483/9,638). Given the lack of validated criteria, two survey questions ("Have you ever noticed that a close relative spent more and more money on gambling?" and "Have you ever experienced that a close relative lied to you about how much he/she gambles?") were extrapolated from the Lie/Bet Screen for pathological gambling. Respondents answering "yes" to both questions were defined as Concerned Significant Others (CSOs). RESULTS: Overall, 2.0% of the study population was defined as CSOs. Young age, female gender, and divorced marital status were factors positively associated with being a CSO. CSOs often reported to have experienced conflicts in the family related to gambling, worsening of the family's financial situation, and impaired mental and physical health. CONCLUSION: Problematic gambling behaviour not only affects the gambling individual but also has a strong impact on the quality of life of family members.

Of patents and patent disputes - The TNFα patent files. Part 2: Enbrel, Remicade, Cimzia and Simponi.

This article is the second part of a trilogy that discusses IP issues related to anti-Tumor Necrosis factor α (TNFα) biologics. TNFα is the world's most valuable target, with accumulated sales of TNFα biologics of 34 bn USD in 2014. While in the first part of this trilogy, Humira was discussed, this second parts discusses the patent strategies of Enbrel, Remicade, Cimzia and Simponi.

Lessons from the MOHW compensation pilot program on birth incidents: First step and looking forward.

OBJECTIVE: In Taiwan, the number of medical disputes and litigation has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. The seriousness of medical disputes continuing grows in clinical practice, especially in obstetricians. This study provided a possible solution to the medical dispute litigation issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) compensation program for birth incidents has been implemented since 2012 and it provided pecuniary compensation for mothers, newborns, and fetuses who got injured or died in birth-related medical incidents. We analyzed the amount and distribution of compensation, and assessed the effect of compensation on the number of medical dispute litigation. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2015, a total of 348 applications was received, 322 of which were examined by the committee. Among the examined cases, 278 were approved for compensation. The total amount of compensation had reached 266.16 million NTD (8.32 million USD). For the medical dispute litigation, a dramatic decrease in number was observed after the implementation of this compensation pilot program. CONCLUSION: Prompt compensation provided instant economic and spiritual support for patients and families. Pecuniary compensation could be an alternative choice of justice, which might encourage the injured to receive economic compensation, instead of filing a lawsuit against the physician or hospital institution. As a result, the number of dispute litigation has decreased. This indicates that the compensation program is an efficient way to improve medical dispute litigation difficulties.

Noblesse oblige? Social status and economic inequality maintenance among politicians.

Economic inequality is at historically high levels in the United States and is among the most pressing issues facing society. And yet, predicting the behavior of politicians with respect to their support of economic inequality remains a significant challenge. Given that high status individuals tend to conceive of the current structure of society as fair and just, we expected that high status members of the U.S. House of Representatives would be more likely to support economic inequality in their legislative behavior than would their low status counterparts. Results supported this prediction particularly among Democratic members of Congress: Whereas Republicans tended to support legislation increasing economic inequality regardless of their social status, the social status of Democrats - measured in terms of average wealth, race, or gender - was a significant predictor of support for economic inequality. Policy implications of the observed relationship between social status and support for economic inequality are considered.