Safety Group: Pa. Doctors Behave Badly

PHILADELPHIA - A Pennsylvania state agency has released a disturbing report examining what it calls "disruptive behavior" by health care workers that is dangerous to patients.

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority says many of the incidents involve conflicts between doctors and nurses, and disruption has gone on even during surgery.

Link: Read The Authority's Report

One case in the shocking report cites an instance when a surgeon stormed out of the operating room in the middle of surgery.

The report also mentions doctors hanging up on nurses who called with questions about medications.

Often times, hospital hierarchy allows high-ranking doctors to get away with intimidation and temper tantrums, the report says. It mentions one case when the doctor wouldn't wait 30 minutes for a topical anesthetic to take affect before performing circumcision on a baby.

Overall, the report cites a fundamental lack of respect between doctors and nurses – specifically, 73 cases of that type – but also mentions discord between doctors and other doctors.

Proper procedures were not followed in 20 cases, according to the authority.

Attorney Ken Rothweiler, who has specialized in medical malpractice for the past 30 years, joined the Fox 29 News at 10 on Sunday to discuss the report.

"It's no surprising in the work that I do, but it is disheartening," Rothweiler said. "I mean, when you're in the hospital, you're at your most vulnerable, and you would expect to have a team helping support you to get better. That team involves the doctors and the nurses, and you would hope that they'd be working together to provide you good health. But a lot of times that doesn't exactly happen because there's conflict between those two groups."

Rothweiler discussed what hospitals should do to stop this kind of behavior and make sure staff is working together for the sake of patients.