Cameras in operating rooms?
As you know, I’ve become rather obsessed with patient safety ever since I watched bad things happen to my dying father nearly three years ago, so I wanted to pass along a petition and gauge people’s opinions. Should cameras be mandatory in operating rooms? Some people think so. There’s obviously a growing movement in the U.S. to equip police officers with body cameras, in the name of protecting police and the public alike. There just might be a parallel for surgery teams and patients.
A petition went online late last month as Causes.com, calling on legislators to require OR cameras “to reduce harm, and learn from errors.” I learned about it from John James, founder of Patient Safety America. In an e-mail, James explained, “There are many reasons to do this: educational tool, improve performance of surgeons, document skills, have an unbiased record if an adverse occurs, and reduce misstatements in medical records.”
What do you think? Vote here, and if you are so inclined, leave a comment below.
Ladies and gentlemen,
On Sept. 25, 2003, our daughter, Julie Rubenzer walked into the Cosmetic Surgery Center, Sarasota. She did not walk out. She was transported out on a gurnee, in a coma. She died here in Wisconsin on Dec. 26, 2003, hypoxic encepelopathy, lack of oxygen.
The sworn testimony showed willful, reckless, and we say, criminal medical malpractice that caused her death. The Sarasota SA office said the actions were not culpable, therefore an accidental death.
Had there been a camera in that office surgery, it would have spoken the truth. But the truth was ignored by the prosecutors.
I published my diary of all this: The Who’s Next Club-A cosmetic surgery disaster. It is all there. Yesterday, I was at the cemetery and was vividly reminded of it all. And of the travesty of justice.
Audio and video should be mandated. AND . . . there should be an “arm’s length” agreement with the hospitals, etc.
There must be a neutral third-party administrator of these records. Doctors, hospitals, et al can not have a vested interest in the companies that are contracted to make/archive the audio/video records. Nor can the hospitals, MDs have direct access to the audio/video records.
Our concern happened at the largest hospital group in North Carolina, and yes a Medical University.. so exactly what are these universities teaching?
My wife walked in for elective surgery on 7/28/08, discharged never to walk again, or even manage her own basic human functions, in need of 27/7 care since.
Trusted surgery team have refuse to talk with us about anything. Surgery staff report does not list a single surgeon entering the operating room. Multiple surgery reports all list different surgeons, post op note list yet another surgeon, monitoring team report dated 18 days prior to surgery? err?
There is no way to tell what is going on once your under anesthesia..
Surgery without audio.video is a fools game, and nothing is learned to prevent others from same harm.
This is a national shame..
Video with audio ought to be part of the documentation of every surgery. The surgical suite is the one place that the patient cannot have an advocate present. Even though a camera cannot advocate for a patient, it can record if check lists were used, if safety measure were taken and if they were at the appropriate times, and if the people who are supposed to be in the surgical suite are actually present during the procedure. This video/audio ought to be part of the EMR and accessible by the patient, just like any part of their record.
I know they should be in the operating rooms. Being a victim of medical malpratice, I know for sure something was not done right
the reason I was left in tremors. First I was told they recorded
then they didn’t. I know for sure they sould be there.
hi Neil
Cameras definitetly should be mandated in ORs. From multiple angles including the lights, endoscopes, and via Google Glasses for 1st person views. We’re working on a few pilots that do just that
Cameras need to be implemented in every hospital’s OR, ER and where Special procedures are done. Cameras should be implemented in long term care facilities. Cameras should be part of patient safety.
Good idea. Protects physicians and patients.
Ensuring that underlying dysfunction of OR teams should go hand-in-hand with any efforts to put cameras in the OR. Patient Advocate, Martine Ehrenclou, MA and I discuss the issue on our blog duet:
Will Cameras in the OR Improve Patient Safety?
http://www.confidentvoices.com/2015/04/28/will-cameras-in-the-or-improve-patient-safety/
Beth
Yes they should. My brother died from a surgical error. A video recording might have saved his life. I know it would have been beneficial in the court case that is going on now. This could be the best thing in patient safety. It could also benefit the entire medical field with false accusations, false malpractice cases & with concent could be used for educational purposes & training. National Organization for Medical Malpractice Victims founder Wade Ayer has been working on this getting passed in Wisconsin & is trying to help me get it passed here in Indiana.
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2015/related/proposals/ab255
You might reach out to him here on Facebook on the National Organization for Medical Malpractice Victims.
Feel free to contact me as well
Yes cameras should be in operating rooms. The assistant was so nice to us before our child went into surgery, but the surgery went long. After the surgery ended, he rushed by us, looking downwards and upset. What happened in there? I will wonder about that day forever. The outcome of that surgery has been awful.
Body cameras would document hospital staff interactions-Unprofessional comments, various forms of harassment, and can ensure true professional interactions in place of personal memories, et cetera.
Many malpractice suits originate from alleged comments made by physicians
or other hospital staff members to patients or patient families. Body cameras with sound recordings provide real-time interactions rather than personal memories. Hospital Staff, not administration, government, or professional should determine guidelines for use, storage, and retrieval.
Of course, signs should be present(or verbal mentions about use of body cameras) must be present so patients realize use; have them sign a waiver. If patients or their families object to camera use, document this, but continue voice recordings.
Protects all medical staff, patients, patient families, and(perhaps) administrators.