Public disclosure for hospitals, too

The Washington State Hospital Association has backed off efforts to hide hospital mistakes from public disclosure.

That's good news — if the hospital group keeps to its word this time. The association in 2000 negotiated with lawmakers to enact a law requiring such disclosure through the state Department of Health. But last year, the association apparently persuaded at least one so-far-unnamed lawmaker to slip a provision into an unrelated health-care bill that ended the required disclosure. The change came as a big surprise last month when the Health Department said it could no longer disclose hospitals' adverse events, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving surgical instruments in the body after an operation. The agency also requested and released the state attorney general's advice on the matter. Under current law, the AG's office suggested, the information is not disclosable.

The hospital association praised the law change as an evolution of thinking about correcting medical errors — from blaming the culprits to merely learning from the mistakes and preventing new ones.

That's a laudable goal, but it begs trust in, rather than public accountability from, state-licensed hospitals. Among those surprised by the change was Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, who negotiated the original public-disclosure law with the hospital association in 2000. He's not feeling very trusting of the hospital association for what he feels was a sneaky, lobbying maneuver.

Since The Seattle Times story on the law change appeared last month, hospital association officials reversed their position after hearing from consumers upset about the change. A spokeswoman said the organization would not oppose the disclosure. The Legislature remains obligated to remedy the legal issue.

Campbell is back on the case. He's already drafted a bill that should rectify this disappointing change in public-disclosure practice.