New York family awarded $130 million in birth injury lawsuit
Last month, I wrote that when you or a loved one has been injured by medical negligence, it can be a bad idea to accept a settlement offer without taking time to carefully consider your options. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you determine the best course of action, even if a settlement seems […]
If a patient experiences a medical mistake by a healthcare provider they may soon have the opportunity to report that error to a federal database. Since currently so many medical errors go unreported, the government hopes the additional information gathered from patients will help prevent errors and improve health care systems. “Patient reports could complement […]
If you are planning to have surgery soon, or otherwise find yourself in the hospital, you should make a point to be actively involved in your care. Medical errors continue to be a major problem in U.S. hospitals. These include medication errors, wrong-site surgeries and hospital negligence leading to infections and delayed diagnosis. One way to help […]
When you visit a medical provider you most likely watch them type or write notes as you explain your condition. If you are like most people, you have probably wondered just what is being said about you in your medical record. Most of us may never know. Even though a patient is absolutely entitled to […]
By now almost everyone has heard of the dangers of distracted driving along with the troubling statistics about the number of injuries and deaths the behavior causes. But have you heard about “distracted doctoring”? The New York Times recently reported on this troubling trend going on in many hospitals and clinics. As medical records have […]
A patient can have a difficult time coping with the knowledge that his or her doctor made a mistake, and rightly so. Doctors are supposed to help their patients, not potentially harm them as the result of negligence, medical errors or medical malpractice. Unfortunately, medical errors are not at all uncommon in America’s health care system. […]
Technology: Causing Medical Errors Instead of Preventing Them
Despite being born 16 weeks early, baby Genesis was quickly adapting to life outside the womb. His parents were thrilled with his progress until his recovery took a tragic turn. His mother was told to come to the hospital immediately, where she saw CPR being administered to her son. After 40 minutes, Genesis was pronounced […]
July is a wonderful month in many respects, summer is in full swing, and people are enjoying nice weather and time outside. For hospital patients, however, studies show July can be a dangerous time. Why is this summer month an unfortunate time to visit the hospital? There is a so-called “July Effect”. Every year in […]
Patients should be able to receive appropriate medical treatment without concerning themselves with anything other than their recovery. According to a recent survey, however, hospital patients could have more to worry about than they realize. The survey, conducted by medical professional associations and a global training and consulting firm, focused on operating-room and critical-care nurses. […]
Self-Reporting of Medical Errors Leads to False Belief in Improvement
A recent study published by Health Affairs suggests that rather than improving patient safety, health care facilities are underreporting medical errors, skewing statistics that seem to indicate hospitals are becoming a safer place for patients. By misattributing adverse events to a patient’s underlying condition, rather than to a mistake by health care professionals, the study reported that almost […]
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