The Texas maternal mortality and morbidity review committee, established by the Department of State Health Services in 2013, has recently come under scrutiny for appointing an anti-abortion activist physician, Dr. Ingrid Skop, to a position that was originally intended for a rural community member. This decision has raised concerns about the impartiality and diversity of the committee, which is tasked with tracking and studying maternal deaths and near-misses in the state. The committee, which consists mostly of doctors, was meant to include community members who could advocate for patients with lived experience. However, the appointment of Dr. Skop over another applicant has left many questioning the transparency and fairness of the selection process.
Medical Device Recalls: Are Patients at Risk?
A recent report from CBS News and KFF Health News has shed light on the alarming fact that medical devices often remain in use even after a recall has been issued. The FDA’s definition of a recall does not necessarily involve the removal of the device from doctors and patients, even in cases where serious flaws can cause injury or death. Instead, recalls may involve correcting the problem through retraining, repair, or re-labeling of the device. This practice has been observed in various Class I recalls, where the potential risks to patients are significant. For example, Abbott’s MitraClip line has experienced multiple recalls due to malfunctions that resulted in serious complications for patients. Despite these issues, the devices were not removed from use, leading to concerns about patient safety.
UnitedHealth’s Profit-Driven Practices
An investigation by STAT has uncovered how UnitedHealth capitalized on the use of a device called QuantaFlo to screen for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and maximize reimbursement from Medicare Advantage. This strategy, which earned the company billions, has been criticized for its reliance on a device that experts deem inaccurate and prone to false positives. The accelerated FDA approval of QuantaFlo allowed UnitedHealth to implement widespread screenings for PAD, even in cases where patients showed no symptoms. This profit-driven approach has led to unnecessary treatments and raised questions about the ethics of diagnosing and treating patients based on questionable methods.
The investigative reporting on healthcare highlights the critical issues and ethical dilemmas facing the industry. From questionable committee appointments to the use of flawed medical devices and profit-driven practices by healthcare companies, it is clear that transparency, patient safety, and ethical standards must be upheld to ensure the well-being of patients. As consumers of healthcare services, it is important to stay informed, ask questions, and advocate for policies that prioritize patient care over profit.
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