3 Reasons Why Hospital Transparency is Good for Patient Safety
Earlier this week, we discussed the tragic deaths that occurred at St. Mary’s Medical Center. CNN’s investigation shows that from 2011 to 2013, the hospital maintained a death rate of 12.5 percent for its pediatric heart surgery program. If parents had known about the high death rate, would they have chosen another hospital? Transparency can… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Are Florida’s New Hospital Standards Hurting Children?
Florida is dropping hospital standards that have helped keep pediatric heart patients safe since the 1970s. According to a CNN article, the change comes after Tenet Healthcare contributed $200,000 to state lawmakers. Tenet Healthcare is the organization behind St. Mary’s Medical Center, a Florida hospital where several children died during heart surgery. A CNN investigation… Read more »
Tags: Pediatric
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Hospital Nightmares: What Patients Should Know About Wrong-Site Surgeries
The health care community refers to many surgical errors as ‘never events’, mistakes that should never occur. Wrong-site surgeries are one of the most common never events, and the type of error that can have life-changing consequences for patients. In 2011, CNN wrote an article on a toddler undergoing surgery to fix a lazy eye…. Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
The Pros and Cons of Telemedicine
Modern telecommunications technology has created several breakthroughs in health care, such as telemedicine. Telemedicine is the practice of using the internet, webcams and screens to connect patients to doctors. For people living in rural areas far away from hospitals or patients with busy work schedules, telemedicine can be extremely useful. However, hospitals and patients should… Read more »
Tags: HCSM
Posted in Medical Negligence
Shocking Claim: Hospitals May Be Incorrectly Determining Brain Death
A new study published in the medical journal JAMA Neurology has alarming implications for patient safety. According to the study, some hospitals might be falsely declaring patients brain-dead. Brain death is a medical term used to describe an irreversible neurological state where brain function no longer exists. The new study suggests determining brain death might… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Negligence
Hospital Nightmares: Can I Get a Disease From A Donated Organ?
Donor organs are responsible for saving thousands of lives every year. However, donor organs can sometimes hide significant dangers, such as diseases and malignancies (cancer). If organ donors are improperly screened for conditions like hepatitis C or rabies, future patients can die or suffer permanent health effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control, only… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Does Poverty Affect Quality of Care in Hospitals?
Access to quality health care has been a longstanding problem in America, but the issue is more severe for people with less income. Recent research suggests people living in poorer urban areas of the country have a more difficult time receiving care at hospitals. An article published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shows us the magnitude… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Early Hospital Discharge Causes Florida Woman’s Death
A Florida woman recently lost her life due to an early hospital discharge. According to local press outlets, the woman was seeking treatment at a Florida hospital for severe abdominal pain. After being cleared to leave, the woman pleaded for oxygen and begged hospital staff for additional help. Instead of doing their jobs, which would… Read more »
Tags: MedicalNews
Posted in Medical Negligence
Hospital Nightmares: How Patient Safety is Affected by Tube Mix-Ups
Doctors and other health care practitioners depend on medical devices to save the lives of patients, but sometimes the opposite happens. Medical devices that look similar can create hidden safety hazards for patients, such as tubing equipment. IVs, catheters and feeding tubes can look similar to each other, and are sometimes confused when used on… Read more »
Tags: MedicalMalpractice
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How Hospital Labeling Errors Can Threaten Patient Safety
When hospital lab tests and medications are improperly labeled, patient safety can become severely affected. Labeling errors can lead to diagnostic mistakes and adverse drug reactions. For some patients, the consequences of labeling errors cause permanent injuries or death. Medication errors: We recently wrote a blog on how medication errors are present in 50 percent… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
