The Article distinguishes and explores three categories of information use: Helping patients understand and participate in their care; Improving patient safety, including analyzing medical errors and identifying unsafe health care providers and practices; and Assessing the performance of the medical liability system in its many dimensions including deterrence, compensation, justice, administrative efficiency, and stability.
For each category, the Article comments on existing laws or programs for information reporting or disclosure, points out major tensions or ambiguities, and suggests pragmatic improvements
