Medical complaints rise by almost 90%: DOH

According to a DOH official Kao Wei-chun (高偉君), the department received a total of 457 medical complaints in 2009, a significant jump from 243 cases in 2008. Among all cases being filed, 57 percent involved medical disputes, 25 percent on the services provided by medical professional and 13 percent on the quality of the medical service.

In addition Kao said that close to 60 percent were disputes derived from ambiguous explanations made by medical professionals, prior to the actual surgery.

Kao added that medical complaints have been on an upward trend during the past decade in Taiwan. She said a Harvard study has estimated that around 70,000 patients experience medical-related injuries per year in Taiwan, equal to 192 people per day.

Kao suggested that before a final decision is made by patients to undergo a major surgery, patients should seek advice from various doctors at different hospitals.

To reduce the number of medical disputes, countries such as China have decided to modify surgery agreement contracts. Some of the changes are to clarify important details such as the surgery date, possible side effects, possible risks or the total surgery cost.

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