Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bombcar 1465 days ago
Reminds me of people getting "THIS LEG" tattooed on the leg to be removed, perhaps something similar with a stick on tooth decoration could be worth it.
2 comments

I used to live in Spain, and I remember being shocked when my doctor told me how common it was for people to have the wrong leg or kidney removed there. She was originally American, and implied there was a strong inverse correlation between the cap on malpractice damages and the number of incorrect organs/appendages detached. Honestly, although the American medical system is the pits, it gave me a better opinion of American tort law and made me believe that some of the seemingly superficial lawsuits in this country serve a better purpose of keeping the otherwise wild-west medical system in check.

[edit] just as a side note, I've noticed a strong trend here among people who also never "had a cavity" in another country until they were in the US

There was some pretty significant pressure against having doctors use checklists (like pilots have) - but it has also decreased errors significantly (both in aviation and in the medical field).

They also act as a form of documentation; I highly recommend checklists whenever I can.

It almost seems like tattooing "NOT THIS LEG" would be a safer move.