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Monday, September 22, 2008

Ind. Law - "Doctors look to track, review peers' surgery files"

This ILB entry from Sept. 6th quoted a story from Amanda Iacone of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that began:

Allen County commissioners expected to review proposed standards for all doctors performing outpatient surgeries but learned Friday the measure addresses only gynecological-related procedures that seem to focus on abortion techniques.

Previously, the commissioners discussed enacting a law to protect patients involved with all types of in-office invasive procedures – from tooth extractions to plastic surgery. But at least one commissioner expressed concern that the proposed ordinance is too narrowly focused and would affect only abortion providers.

Since then, according to this story today by the same reporter, the State Medical Association has been working on the issue. Some quotes:
Doctors from across Indiana voted Sunday to work with the state to find a way to police all doctors regardless of specialty or their affiliation with a hospital.

Members of the Indiana State Medical Association’s governing body voted to ask its board of trustees to study the issue of tracking doctors with no admitting privileges to a hospital where they practice and to make a recommendation to the state. The vote signaled doctors’ support for the state to regulate, track and provide peer review for all doctors performing surgical procedures, closing a loophole in current regulations. * * *

Local doctors had proposed a resolution urging that the statewide association work with the Indiana State Department of Health and create a rule requiring all doctors performing outpatient surgical procedures be subject to peer review. They also wanted patient complications to be tracked, regardless of whether the doctors are affiliated with a local hospital.

Similar concerns cropped up during a study this year regarding the use of anesthesia in an office setting. The state rule on anesthesia took effect this spring and since then the state medical association has been working to resolve the other questions, Welsh said.

McMahan said other procedures such as liposuction and laser hair removal were not covered by the anesthesia rule.

The rule requires doctors using anesthesia to have admitting privileges to a local hospital and subject to peer review. The rule exempted abortion clinics, which are covered under a separate regulation.

The doctors’ vote Sunday comes two weeks after the Allen County Right to Life presented an ordinance to the Allen County commissioners that would require doctors performing certain gynecology-related surgical procedures to have admitting privileges to a local hospital – allowing that hospital to track complications and discipline a doctor if necessary.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 22, 2008 08:10 AM
Posted to Indiana Law