Newswise — ASA President Eugene P. Sinclair, M.D., recently joined President George W. Bush at the White House for the President's signing of S.544, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005. In recognition of the accomplishments of anesthesiology in advancing patient safety, Dr. Sinclair was invited to join other representatives of the medical profession to witness the President's signing of this legislation that will create a new medical error-reporting system.
"Having the opportunity to collectively examine and improve what we do as physicians will be a great benefit to our patients. During my years of practice as an anesthesiologist, I have witnessed how patient safety efforts within our specialty have led to the development of standards and guidelines that reduced anesthesia-related accidents. This has not only lowered malpractice premiums, but more important, has improved patient care." Dr. Sinclair said. "We hope that this new legislation will enhance and further develop a culture of safety for the entire medical community."
The bill signed by the President will create a new voluntary reporting system under which "patient safety organizations" would receive and analyze information on reported medical errors on a confidential basis. The "patient safety organizations" would then be expected to develop and disseminate evidence-based information to help physicians and other providers implement changes in practice patterns to prevent future medical errors.
The bill-signing ceremony caps a week of congressional attention to health care issues. The GOP leadership in the House of Representatives designated the week of July 25-29 as "Health Week." As part of the designation, the House considered and passed numerous health-related proposals.
In 2005 the American Society of Anesthesiologists will celebrate its 100th Anniversary as an educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient. Since its founding, the Society's achievements have made it an important voice in American Medicine and the foremost advocate for all patients who require anesthesia or relief from pain.
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