Defensive medicine does not always defend doctors and patients, on the contrary it often happens exactly the opposite. The nightmare of many.
The nightmare that most of all scares health professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Pediatric Nurses, Midwives and colleagues from the remaining Health Professions) is being sued for facts that occurred during the work shift. Taking a look at the past, we will review a situation of obsequious respect towards health personnel such as not to think that they could make a mistake and therefore be charged for the work done. Especially towards the medical management where the “Doctor” was seen as a godsend whose opinion was indisputable.
All this was the result of popular ignorance that has diminished over the years. The sharp increase in education, but above all the advent of the internet, has led citizens to increase their knowledge, even in the medical field, where they have gone from obsequious assent to almost frenzied obstruction against health itself, triggering a reaction of force to the sound of complaints.
Citizens could also justify this attitude given the numerous cases of ill health, but up to a certain point, because exaggeration, as in everything, leads to the degeneration of the system.
The complaints have increased exponentially over the years, children of this knowledge or false knowledge that Dr. google has given out for free. Citizens not knowing protocols, company procedures and the care / assistance process itself, but expect the execution of techniques or diagnostic tests that are not compatible with their clinical condition which increase the cost of hospitalization. Even worse, once they go to the emergency room (60% of the time in an improper way) they claim the right of precedence over everyone, including cardiac arrests, they impose on the doctors, under explicit threat of complaint, if not satisfied, the execution of examinations blood, RX, CT, ECG and so on and so forth.
By now all of this has become a real business, in fact the swarm of lawyers who have understood the huge economic deal in attacking public health companies, where compensation is usually large, has led people to make more and more complaints, strong from the fact that they are supported by lawyers who promise seas and mountains and who come down in agreements with the client such as: “It is not necessary to pay and advance any amount because the legal fee will automatically be paid by the hospital once the cause”.
By now this type of performance has become public order and sponsored such as the sale of sweets, in fact recently even in a well-known radio station the slogan was heard on how easy and possible it was to file a complaint against hospitals that are guilty of ill health.
Once the mechanism is understood, and paradoxically the ease of the procedures, the relatives of hospitalized patients, in addition to looking for the slightest quibble during assistance, wait, or even look for the potential error to be able to enrich themselves behind public officials.
This behavior obviously led to a response from health professionals, namely defensive medicine. Which can only be a degenerative form of treatment and of the system itself. Because now the doctor and nurse do not make their decisions on the basis of what is right to do, or at least thinking only of this, but the first thought is to do everything so as not to risk running into any complaint. Sometimes sacrificing attempts that could prove to be fundamental. Often we even avoid discharging patients who are now cured and who would make room for other needy citizens just because relatives threaten a lawsuit against the ward.
To avoid ruining one’s career if not life itself, and to defend oneself, these requests are often indulged. Also because you work by receiving salaries from the NHS that do not reflect the real risks and responsibilities of health professionals, especially in the case of nurses given the ridiculous renewal of the latest CCNL-HEALTHCARE.
All this also leads to a lack of collaboration between professionals, creating the classic situation of “barrel discharge” to avoid uncomfortable responsibilities.
The consequence of this degenerative situation is clearly to the detriment of the citizens who find themselves in front of professionals who are always on the defensive, and who often cannot do their job 100%.
Gaetano Sciascia – Male nurse