At least one insurance company on the west coast, NORCAL, provided a 5% discount in the liability premiums to anesthesiologists who review the ASA Patient Safety Video Tapes annually. Hospital Quality Assurance Programs assist in the undertaking by vouching for the study requirements.

Under the distribution program announced several months ago, the first three video tapes in the series have had distribution completed by Burroughs-Wellcome to all interested U.S. Hospitals of I 00-bed size or larger who have surgical suites. Over 2700 hospitals requested tapes through this program.

To have received the tapes, it was necessary to have returned a request card forwarded to the Chief of Anesthesiology at each Hospital by Burroughs-Wellcome. If Anesthesia Departments that did not return cards would like another one, they may get it by contacting their Burroughs-Wellcome representative.

The second three tapes in the series will be distributed in midwinter and the third triad in late winter. The last tapes in production now, Patient Safety in the PACU and Patient Safety in neuromuscular blockade, will be delivered in the spring.

Dr. Pierce is President, APSF