When you go to the hospital and have numerous tests done, you expect the doctor to find out what's wrong with you and treat whatever illness you have. Patients rely on doctors and hospitals to properly diagnose and treat their conditions. When a doctor fails to diagnose a patient with the correct disorder or doesn't provide treatment soon enough, the patient's life is at risk for serious complications and even death.
Birth injuries: What constitutes a full-term pregnancy?
Welcoming a new family member into the world is usually a very exciting experience. In preparing for birth, expecting parents might take every precaution to help ensure the health of their child. In this process, mothers might rely on the advice they receive from their doctor. Failure to provide sound medical guidance can have very serious consequences for mothers and their children.
Punctured intestine leads to multi-million dollar lawsuit
A terrible surgical error that ruined a man's life and forced his wife to quit her job to be his caretaker for an extended period of time is finally receiving justice. The man and his wife sued for medical malpractice and were recently awarded a $6.7 million judgment.
Mislabeled bottle results in horrific burns on woman's cervix
In personal injury cases, a victim has been harmed in an “accident” or as a result of a “mistake” or “error” in judgment. These labels almost seem like misnomers, because they could make the incident appear somewhat minor. For the victims of these “mistakes,” the pain and damage is anything but minor.
Researcher says doctors avoid noting colleagues' medical errors
Though it shouldn't, it's a problem that exists: medical professionals are reluctant to point out when a colleague has made a mistake that puts a patient's health at risk. According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, this reluctance is common, and the predominant culture of the medical profession needs to change.
Pennsylvania adopts bill allowing doctors to apologize
Jim Corbett, the governor of Pennsylvania, recently signed a landmark measure that may change the way doctors interact with patients (and their families) after a surgical procedure goes wrong. According to a recent Philly.com report, the governor signed the “benevolent gesture” bill into law, which will allow doctors to apologize to patients, and make expressions of remorse without having them used as evidence in medical malpractice lawsuits.
Joint Commission issues warnings to hospitals
In our last post, we highlighted the dangers of surgical tools being left in patients. According to The Joint Commission, more than 800 surgical patients have had tools and other materials left in them since 2005. Because patient safety during surgical procedures is such a prominent issue, we find it prudent to highlight another important facet of the Joint Commission report.
