Illinois eliminates access to doctors' records

Here is a link to a recent Chicago Tribune article that discusses the battle between patients' rights advocates and the medical lobby surrounding the online posting of physicians' detailed histories, including malpractice records. At one point the state maintained a website where it posted such information. Patients could see whether a given doctor was convicted of a crime, fired by a medical institution or held liable for malpractice within a five-year window. However, for obvious reasons, the Illinois State Medical Society lobbied hard to stop the state from making the information available. It won the battle and the website no longer works. For more information go here.