Book Review
Mr.Aswini Misro with Mr Dogramaci, Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon, Essex from
House of Commons Palace of Westminster, London (18th March 2019).
MR HANI SLIM, Consultant Vascular Surgeon,
Kings College London NHS Trust, Denmark Hill,
London
Globalisation and economic liberalisation have led to the proliferation of profit-centric business model of private medical care. Malpractices like over-diagnosis, overtreatment, expensive treatments and unnecessary investigations are becoming increasingly more prevalent. The increasing affordability of general population coupled with changing the expectation of patients has favourably fuelled the medical malpractice. The lawsuits and medico-legal risks have become another ground for the doctors to succumb to the practice of over-investigation and over-diagnosis sub-consciously. In the current scenario, malpractice in medical care has been a deep-rooted and complex issue. In the countries, where evidence-based practice is a distant reality, it is challenging to draw the line.
This book is an innovative effort by the author to compile these real-life medical anecdotes and highlights the struggle the patients and the caregivers go through in day to day life. This book is of great help in educating the common man and creating awareness about ways to deal with them.
The book “Medical malpractice – How to keep yourself out of trouble?” is a well-written book and probably first of its kind I have ever come across on this topic. It provides the root cause analysis of various types of medical mishaps in a succinct way which can be quite easily understandable by both a layperson as well as a medical professional. It compels the reader to carry on reading the stories with great insight.
It further provides insight into the socio economic impact of the profit based medical practice in the current era. I look forward to the new exposures in the medical industry that the author might provide in the next sequel of this book.
Mr Anthony RamSinhai, Consultant Surgeon,
Bart Health NHS Trust, London
Dr Atul Bansal
Consultant Emergency Physician
Wexham-Park NHS Trust
Slough, England.
“The other important aspect of this book is about the “out of pocket expenditure” and “medical bankruptcy”
This book has thrown light on various day to day problems that a patient faces with regard to medical malpractice including over investigations, over treatment, global trend of unnecessary surgeries, and medical error.
The author has dived deep into the issue to provide with insightful tips and recommendations for general public. It will not only enhance the understanding of the patients but also will help them to get the most out of the healthcare system. I quite liked the phrase “being professional as a patient”.
The other important aspect of this book is about the “out of pocket expenditure” and “medical bankruptcy”. The burden of these problem is much more than many people realise. These topics have been covered reasonably well in the book.
In order to mitigate the burgeoning issue of medical malpractice, raising patient awareness is a critical component and I am happy that the author has taken an initiative in this direction.