The WISCONSIN Supreme Court ruled in July that a stroke patient could proceed with a claim alleging that his doctor failed to inform him of an alternative test that might have prevented his brain injury, according to the Wisconsin Bar Association. If a Doppler ultrasound had been performed the night the patient collapsed or the following day, a clogged artery would have been detected and prepared for emergency surgery, the court ruled.

MINNESOTA: A website sponsored by the state allows consumers to compare physicians and hospitals by quality ratings and the average price paid by health plans for the 100 most common services. Quality scores are determined by a nonprofit group that was created by health plans in the state and the Minnesota Medical Association.