Personal Injury Law

Illinois Law Seeks to Make Doctor Histories Available

By Steven M. Levin and John J. Perconti

We recently published several stories that highlight the steps taken by the Illinois medical lobby to prevent common-sense action to that protect patient rights and improves healthcare. As reported in the Chicago Tribune, the fight has continued this lame-duck session of the Illinois General Assembly as similar legislation is again on the docket. It is yet unclear whether the new bill will make it through the process to become law.

This time the issue involves patient right to records concerning their doctors previous quality of care. The Patients? Right to Know Act was passed by the House last week and will be sent to the Senate to obtain its support. If passed the law would allow patients to be made aware of certain acts by their physician, including firings, criminal convictions, and acts of malpractice.

The profiles that would be required under the bill were previously available to the public as part of legislation attached to medical malpractice caps. However, when the Illinois Supreme Court ruled those caps unconstitutional, the doctors ensured that access to the profiles were taken away from patients. When available the online profiles attracted more than 130,000 clicks per week.

As usual, the Illinois State Medical Society is using its influence to defeat the bill. That organization has successfully killed similar efforts in previous years.

Full post as published by Illinois Medical Malpractice Blog on January 11, 2011 (boomark / email).