State Disclosure Reports
- Vermont Hospital Report Cards
Consumers Union Documents
- State Hospital Infection Public Reporting Laws
Summary of state laws hospital infection reporting laws.
- Requiring Drug Companies to Disclose Marketing Expenditures to Physicians
Drug marketing emphasizes the latest and most expensive drugs even though these drugs may not be the best in their category according to the medical evidence.
Consumers Union News Releases
- Legislation shields medical error information but will not interfere with state mandatory reporting laws.
In 2004, Consumers Union worked with others around the country to ensure that legislation being considered by Congress would not prevent state laws that required public disclosure of hospital-specific infection rates. The bill has now been reintroduced and keeps the language that will permit states to require publication of hospital-specific infection rates.
News Articles
- Surgeon accuses St. Albans hospital of deliberately infecting his patients
Source: VTDigger (Monday August 12, 2013)
Surgeon accuses hospital of deliberately infecting his parents.
- What do patients want? And why it matters for SunshineThis Community Catalyst blog discusses the Physician Payments Sunshine Act passed in the health care reform legislation. It creates a national public website where drug and device companies will report payments and gifts to doctors. Consumers will be able to search the site.
- VT: Drug Samples Thorny Issue at Statehouse
Source: NLARx (Monday April 26, 2010)
The Vermont health care bill provision requiring drug companies to report when they give free medication samples to doctors is being misinterpreted as a ban on all free samples.
- Vermont Enacts Sweeping Gift Ban; Affects Drug, Device, Biologics Manufacturers
Source: NLARX (Monday May 11, 2009)
A bill passed by the Vermont House and Senate will close the loopholes in the state’s existing gift disclosure law by requiring full disclosure of allowable gifts to physicians, health care organizations, non-profit groups and state-funded academic institutions.
- Supreme Court rules against Wyeth in liability case
Source: Reuters (Wednesday March 4, 2009)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the drugmaker Wyeth, holding that pharmaceutical companies can be held liable for harm from medicines that carry warnings approved by federal regulators.
- Vermont: Officials say patients must be vigilant to control infections
Source: VT Public Radio (Monday August 18, 2008)
Hospital officials say doctors and their patients need to be constantly vigilant to prevent infections, especially from those caused by new strains of drug resistant bacteria.
- Vermont lawmakers consider tracking infections
Source: Montpelier Times Argus (Thursday May 5, 2005)
A group of Vermont residents who have suffered from hospital infections told their stories at a recent hearing on legislation that would require public disclosure of infection rates.
Research and Reports
- State Tackles Winnable Battle with Innovative Acute and Long-Term Care PartnershipVermont is taking on an exciting new project to prove that preventing healthcare-associated infections is a “winnable battle.”