Flagging medical errors; Expediting malpractice settlements in N.Y.

News outlest report on innovations to reduce medical errors and speed up resolution of medical malpractice lawsuits.

Reuters: Blame-Free System Increases Medical Error Reports
Flagging medical errors through a system that emphasizes a lack of punishment and maintains anonymity yields more reports than a traditional method of reporting errors, a team of doctors has found. After introducing the new system at a pediatric clinic in North Carolina, the number of reported mistakes jumped from five to 86 per year on average. ... Since 1999, when the Institute of Medicine released a landmark report estimating that nearly 100,000 Americans die yearly because of medical errors, health care organizations have ramped up their efforts to recognize errors and improve safety (Grens, 11/21).

Kaiser Health News: N.Y. Malpractice Program May Offer Model For Medical Liability Cases
Medical malpractice lawsuits can be complicated, expensive and emotionally wrenching for patients, doctors and hospital officials alike. Now a program pioneered by a Bronx judge that speeds up the resolution of these cases is expanding into other parts of New York (Andrews, 11/22).