Malpractice, Aussie-Style

One defibrillator, three operations, $1700 waived.

This case is remarkable on many fronts. Glad to see he's finally doing well.

-Wes

Addendum 16:15 CST - Seems some quality data is about to be forthcoming to improve patient's lot over there:

An audit by the health department's Clinical Excellence Commission last year of 1317 patient files at 16 hospitals, previously unnamed, showed complication rates for pacemaker implantation varied from 8.5 per cent for the best-performing hospital to 17 per cent for the worst.

I'm impressed at the relatively high complication rate at all of the facilities...I wonder what they're counting: deaths, infections, lead dislodgements, etc.? Or are simpler things like minor hematomas added in also. This is why quality data, without explanation (or as they mention, without respect to the number or complexity of procedures performed), are difficult to view in context.