Posting of malpractice information isn’t perfect, but it’s a start

The wait is over. The Nevada Board of Medical Examiners has restored malpractice information to its Web site so you can check out your doctor's medical malpractice history. They've even added educational and training information. All that is good.

Doug Cooper, who unsuccessfully opposed removing the information in March 2005 when he was chief of investigations for the board, made this one of his priorities after he recently became interim executive director.

In not quite one month, he got the job done, overcoming the technical problems blamed for blocking the return of the information removed nearly five years ago. The doctor who headed the move to remove malpractice information was Dr. Javaid Anwar.

Sixteen months after the board said the information should be returned to its Web site, it's finally available online.

Now during all this time you could have called and received information, but having it in print is more accurate than hearing it read quickly.

You'll have to decide whether the cases are significant. Remember, sometimes insurance companies decide it's better to pay to settle a case even if they don't believe there is malpractice. The history of malpractice payments or settlements may look more worrisome than it really is. But it's good consumer information now available to you at www.medboard.nv.gov

On that site, there are several places saying "Look up a physician, physician assistant or practitioner of respiratory care." Click on any of them and put in the name of the person you want to check. When it pops up you'll see education and training, malpractice information and any disciplinary action. The list of all the doctors disciplined has always been on the Web site and is still there.

Columnists love to brag when action is taken based on their nagging. And I'm no different. If I hadn't nagged about this, I doubt this ever would have happened. It helped that Gov. Jim Gibbons and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, a diverse duo, supported my urging that the information be restored, so credit must be shared with them, as well as readers who called the board to say they wanted that malpractice information more easily accessible.

Yes, I'm a braggart, but this is a victory for consumers.

After my Oct. 19 column on this subject, readers called to thank me for explaining how to research disciplinary action against their doctors and lawyers and then said they wanted more. How do they find out if their dentist has been disciplined?

Start with the Nevada Board of Dental Examiners' Web site at www.nvdentalboard.nv.gov.

Once again, don't even think there would be something to click on that says "disciplinary action."

Instead go to "license verification" and then hit "click here" and put in the name of the dentist and hit "details."

Again, don't look for a warning like: This dentist practices like Sir Laurence Olivier in the movie "Marathon Man."

It's more subtle.

Look for "Last Board Action."

If there's a date there, then some discipline action was taken and the board will send you the information if you ask. No computer? Then call the Nevada Dental Examiners office at (702) 486-7044.

Now here's an idea.

Why not make it standard on all the medical Web sites so the public doesn't have to guess that "Last Board Action" means the dentist was disciplined and a blank there means there is no discipline?

Why not make the boards that regulate all health providers put the same information on their Web sites in basically the same uniform fashion so the consumer doesn't have to know all the tricks to find what they want?

Wouldn't that be helpful?

Just planting a seed.

Don't want to push my luck today when the medical board has made a positive step forward.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call (702) 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.