Additional openness

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

One of the most important decisions an individual will ever make is choosing a doctor. A patient has every right to expect that his physician is trustworthy and dependable. A referral from a friend or relative is one way to help in the selection process. Another is to surf the Internet for background information.

Along those lines the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners last week made a long overdue decision to update its Web site so consumers can determine whether particular doctors have malpractice settlements or judgments against them. Malpractice information used to be listed, but in 2005 the board made the wrong-headed decision to delete it on the ground that state law did not require posting it. Instead, that information was available only by phoning the board.

The board has not yet decided when the malpractice disclosures will return to its Web site, and we urge swift action. The board, already facing stiff criticism for the perception that it has been too slow to react to the hepatitis C outbreak in Southern Nevada, must do more to curry favor with consumers.

One of the best ways to do that is to be more receptive to the public’s appetite for complete information about the medical professionals who are licensed in Nevada. Those demands rose to a crescendo when details came to light this year about flawed medical practices at the now-shuttered Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada. Had it not been for that case, there is a good chance the board would not have voted to return malpractice reports to its Web site. That is too bad because it should not take a health crisis for the board to realize that it should be putting consumers first.