Medical Errors
A medical error is when something happens during the process of providing care that leads to a negative outcome for the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis, not noticing any symptoms, giving too much medication or surgery instead of other treatments like physical therapy and counseling. A medical mistake can happen at any point in receiving health care from doctors and nurses who are unfamiliar with all aspects your condition to prescription errors because they prescribed you antibiotics without knowing if you have allergies (and vice versa). Medical errors are a relatively common occurrence that often lead to injury or death for patients.
It is no secret that the medical field has faced a long, hard road in recent years. The sheer number of errors and misdiagnoses being made by doctors across all states could be staggering for anyone to comprehend. With so much at stake when it comes to life or death situations, this should come as no surprise but can also cause anxiety among patients who are going through treatment spells or major surgeries during their lives. A Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year to medical errors and other reports claim that number could be as high as 440,000! Medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death after heart disease and cancer so this is a very important issue we should not overlook anymore as aside from casualties of life, family of a victim patient would left debilitated not only emotionally and physically but financially as well since they are going to take cover of one’s funeral fees and livelihood left unattended.
Instances of Medical Error
- Wrongly done prescription (unathorized drugs, incorrect medicine, improper dose, and etc.)
- Impulsive omission and absence of duty in crucial times
- Administrative negligence (such as mistaken handling of drugs to patient and incorrect route of patient visit)
Common causes of Medical Error
When health care workers make mistakes, the consequences can be disastrous. This is especially true when it comes to medical errors which are caused by eight common root causes according to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality including:
- Lacking organization and sorting – Real often, missing documents, poor schedule management, etc. can cause medical error
- Lack of message dissemination – The flow of information in healthcare is crucial, especially between departments. When a patient transitions from one service area to another or leaves the hospital altogether, it’s imperative for them and their caregivers that they have all necessary documentation (test results) with them so care can continue seamlessly. Without this vital data transfer, patients may experience consequences such as: delayed and incorrect application of medication and test results are faulty.
- Techinical and Equipment Errors
- Human Errors – This includes tardiness, poor documentation and bad instruction, inadequency of staffs can be considered as well.
- Patient Issues – Instructions and regulations patient-wise are disobeyed
- Transfer of Information Error – Training and education to employees for every patient’s nature is failed or insufficient
Effects of Medical Error on a Patient
Medication errors can cause a new condition, either temporary or permanent. Sometimes these effects are no more than skin rashes and itching but in some cases they result in death. In other instances the consequences of an error range from nothing notable to severe injury or even death depending on what medication was prescribed for you by your physician and how it interacts with any preexisting medical conditions.
Effects of Medical Error on Medical Providers
The pressure to provide the best care and advanced treatment can lead physicians or nurses to somewhat unhealthy consequences if badly managed at an extent. It is estimated that up to one in 25 practitioners suffers from some form of medical error, with an even greater percentage never admitting their fault. Medical professionals are often faced with significant psychological ramifications following negligence on behalf of themselves or someone they work closely alongside; this includes feelings of shame, guilt, and self-doubt which has been coined as “second victim” syndrome by researchers worldwide. The emotional weight placed upon doctors who make mistakes unintentionally is intense enough for many people but it becomes unbearable when you add more responsibility onto what’s already there–the fear that if something goes wrong again then not only will your patient suffer immensely psychologically.
How can a patient be beneficial from a case of Medical Error
A medical malpractice claim is a situation where the person has been injured or harmed by an error of omission on behalf of their doctor. This can include anything from neglecting to inform them about something in-depth, misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment/procedures performed with surgical equipment and more! These are all situations that may be classified as errors made by doctors who have sworn under oaths to do no harm for those they serve – thus creating this type of liability court case. Hiring a Injury Lawyer — a type of lawyer who specializes in working with cases involving injuries may it be from car accidents to medical malpractice results.
The attorneys at Ryan Injury Lawyers have successfully represented clients who were injured due to catastrophic injuries or wrongful death by fighting for their rights when they are faced with an unfair decision made without consideration for human life such as those seen after Hurricane Harvey . The firm also handles smaller matters like individual medical malpractice suits where members must put up huge amounts just in order to file suit because most lawyers would rather not take such risky legal procedures even though it could mean millions if successful. Ryan Injury Lawyers has built a formidable reputation as one of the few firms in its region that represent individuals and small business against large insurance corporations, government agencies, and financial institutions. Their cases range from personal injury to medical malpractice with experience on both sides of these types of disputes.