Some patients in Oregon and across the United States may have experienced adverse results following a surgery or other medical procedure. In response, some state legislatures have proposed that patients be able to record their surgeries. They believe that this may help to prevent errors by allowing patients to review their surgeries and determine if any of the doctors or support staff were negligent in their duty to provide quality medical care. However, there are also issues of legality and ethics involved with this kind of legislation.
Patient privacy laws are often rigorous in preventing any sort of recording being made of a surgery. Modifications to the law may be necessary for the patient to make a video record of a procedure.
Doctors and other experts on the prevention of surgical errors are uncertain that this method will create substantial improvement. They point out that surgical events are not necessarily going to be visible to a camera, and misinterpretation of video evidence might lead to unfair prosecution. State medical societies and hospital associations have contested bills allowing recording of medical procedures in states where legislators have attempted to pass such laws.
A surgical error can lead to life-altering damage. An attorney may be able to help someone who wishes to file a civil suit and be compensated for medical malpractice or other adverse effects caused by an egregious error or poor practice. In addition to dealing with the medical entity, the attorney may be able to guide the plaintiff toward a more favorable outcome.