Ross-Lee B, Kiss L, Weiser M A
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens 45701-2979.
J Am Osteopath Assoc. 1994 Dec;94(12):1039-49.
Physicians have identified malpractice reform as their first priority during the recent flurry of national reform initiatives. Their focus on malpractice, however, tends to obscure the relationship between malpractice and the systemic problems wracking our healthcare delivery system. Because malpractice has an impact on all three foci of comprehensive reform--quality, cost, and access--it is reasonable to expect healthcare reform to include some manner of tort reform. However, it is important to realize the tangential nature of the relationship and keep the focus of reform on the underlying issues of system reform. The authors define the areas of physician liability under tort law (both malpractice and product liability), point out the misperceptions that inform physician behavior, and review the individual reforms proposed. They identify the stakeholders and their positions on each proposal, while imploring a cooperative, systemwide approach to tort reform.
在近期一系列全国性改革举措中，医生们已将医疗事故改革确定为首要任务。然而，他们对医疗事故的关注往往掩盖了医疗事故与困扰我们医疗服务体系的系统性问题之间的关系。由于医疗事故对全面改革的所有三个重点——质量、成本和可及性——都有影响，因此有理由期望医疗改革包含某种形式的侵权改革。然而，重要的是要认识到这种关系的间接性质，并将改革重点放在体系改革的根本问题上。作者界定了侵权法（包括医疗事故和产品责任）下医生责任的领域，指出了影响医生行为的误解，并审视了所提议的各项改革。他们确定了利益相关者及其对每项提议的立场，同时呼吁采取一种合作的、全体系的侵权改革方法。
