Doctors, Hospitals Crack Down On Videotaping In Delivery Room

[The Straight Story]

Doctors, Hospitals Crack Down On Videotaping In Delivery Room

SEATTLE -- Dr. John C. Nelson, an obstetrician, understands the desire of some parents to capture the miracle of birth on video.

But a few years ago, he put a stop to the practice among his patients for fear the delivery-room footage could someday become Exhibit A in court.

"What once used to be really fun and warm and cozy and so forth is now a potential nail in the coffin from a liability perspective," said Nelson, who practices in Salt Lake City and delivered babies until 2003. He is now president of the American Medical Association.

Many doctors and hospitals around the country are clamping down on videotaping in the delivery room out of concern those family videos could be used in malpractice suits.

http://www.local6.com/news/4344024/detail.html

[iconoclastNYC]

1. Well there is a question to ask when you are interviewing for a doctor.

This is bullshit. Every patient is a medical consumer and we can vote with our business.

When will the medical professional learn that lawsuits aren't the problem, bad doctors, and the culture that tolerates them is the problem.

[sui generis]

2. that's a dumb attitude for them

if it's not malpractice, then a videotape would vindicate you. If it is malpractice, you're putting patients at risk and you should be fixing the problem. Make up your mind.

[MindPilot]

3. Oh gosh we couldn't have an indisputable record

of what actually happened, now could we?

I would think that they would welcome the opportunity, unless there is something to hide. But hospitals would never have anything to hide would they?

[DistressedAmerican]

4. My Wife And I Just Had A Baby Girl.

When we went in for the first ultra sound it was that doctor's first day. He made us a video of the whole exam.

When we came back he was very nervous and when we asked him about a tape of the second exam he refused and told me that his practice was not happy with him when he told them he gave us one.

It was a lawsuit thing. He did make us a cute little video of the her face for us the second time but, that was it.

[TahitiNut]

5. It's the "don't get caught" ethic at work.

It's not about actually improving and eliminating cases of malpractice ... it's about not getting caught. Ethically bankrupt.

[walkon]

6. If they were smart

and everything were above board they would want to tape everything.

[tx_dem41]

7. Video tapes of complicated procedures where you really need multiple...

cameras providing different POVs can be (and have been) grossly misrepresented and misinterpreted in court by lawyers and laymen jurors. I can see why the doctor/hospital would make such a rule. Also, they have every right to.

That said, I am strongly against tort reform in case anyone was wondering.