Wisconsin Legislature to Vote on Video Recordings During Surgeries for Patient Rights in 2019

Most of us know something about “black boxes” used in aircraft that record all mechanical functions and crew conversations that can be retrieved and analyzed after accidents to help determine causation. A surgery room "black box" would not be as equipped as most aircraft black boxes, but it would potentially serve a similar purpose by requiring a surgical unit or hospital to allow patients the option of having their surgeries videotaped in color with audio. There would be harsh financial penalties for tampering with the tapes, and they would be considered part of patients’ medical records that they could access. The Wisconsin bill’s intent is to create a law that would provide patients and family members with a neutral unbiased witness for any incorrect procedures during surgery that worsened one’s condition or caused death. The updated Wisconsin State Assembly Bill 863 was introduced in January 2018, and is scheduled for discussion and voting during the 2019 Wisconsin State Legislature sessions beginning January 7th, 2019. This is a huge victory, as doctors and medical officials have vigorously opposed this legislation, and there has been great doubt that this bill would gain any traction and come up for a vote due to the pro-Pharma lobby. Medical errors are the third highest source of deaths in America, according to Johns Hopkins University research. The Bill's stated purpose is to provide legislation for requiring surgical units to provide: "[A] video recording of surgical procedures, providing an exception from emergency rule procedures, granting rule-making authority, requiring the exercise of rule-making authority, and providing penalties."