The Safety Ledger - The $750 million Hadden settlement shows what can happen when institutions ignore a basic safeguard—never let a patient be examined alone.
We're not talking about expensive technology or complex protocols. We're talking about one more person in the room. That this remains debatable in 2025 shows how far medicine has to go in prioritizing patient protection over provider convenience.
Your closing line says it all: "One witness in the room can mean the difference between safety and suffering."
The $750 million is just money. The real cost is broken trust—every patient who hesitates before a necessary exam, every woman who wonders if she'll be believed.
Mandatory chaperone policies won't prevent every instance of misconduct. But they will prevent the institutionalized enabling that allowed predators to abuse with impunity.
Thank you for this clear-eyed call to action. Medicine needs more voices saying patient safety is not negotiable.
Thank you for this great comment. Yes, requiring a chaperone in 2025 is still debatable. I was reprimanded at my institution when I not too long tried to ask for a mandatory chaperone policy. So yes, there are still institutions who "don't get it".
We're not talking about expensive technology or complex protocols. We're talking about one more person in the room. That this remains debatable in 2025 shows how far medicine has to go in prioritizing patient protection over provider convenience.
Your closing line says it all: "One witness in the room can mean the difference between safety and suffering."
The $750 million is just money. The real cost is broken trust—every patient who hesitates before a necessary exam, every woman who wonders if she'll be believed.
Mandatory chaperone policies won't prevent every instance of misconduct. But they will prevent the institutionalized enabling that allowed predators to abuse with impunity.
Thank you for this clear-eyed call to action. Medicine needs more voices saying patient safety is not negotiable.
Thank you for this great comment. Yes, requiring a chaperone in 2025 is still debatable. I was reprimanded at my institution when I not too long tried to ask for a mandatory chaperone policy. So yes, there are still institutions who "don't get it".