Did You Know You Can Check Your Hospital Safety Score?
Would you spend thousands of dollars at a restaurant without checking the reviews first? How about the hospital performing your next heart surgery? Checking a hospital safety score may help you avoid medical mistakes or being exposed to deadly superbugs. The Leapfrog Group is an organization obsessed with hospital safety. They conduct detailed surveys on… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Negligence
Are You at Risk for a Heart Surgery Mistake?
Did you know that former Saturday Night Live cast member and comedian Dana Carvey was the victim of a heart surgery mistake? In 1997, Carvey was out jogging when he started feeling chest pains. Doctors told Carvey he had a blocked artery and scheduled surgery to remove the blockage. The procedure was a failure because… Read more »
Tags: HeartSurgery
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How Are Patients Harmed by Radiology Errors?
Radiology errors can cause patients to suffer permanent disabilities or death. The case of former computer programmer Jennifer Drumm is a sad example. The story begins on a Friday night, when Jennifer Drumm checked herself into a hospital over a severe headache. She had called it “the worst headache in her life.” Jennifer’s doctor was… Read more »
Tags: Misdiagnosis
Posted in Medical Negligence
Should Hospitals Take Cyberattack Threats Seriously?
Several recent examples of hackers holding patient records hostage have been circulated by news outlets. Hospitals have also faced direct attacks on their IT systems. Other cybersecurity risks at hospitals are far more serious and involve equipment used to treat and monitor patients. These attempts show that patient safety and cybersecurity are becoming intertwined. The… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Do Hospitals and Doctors Lie During Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?
ProPublica recently published an interview with a retired doctor who admitted he lied under oath during a medical malpractice lawsuit twenty years ago. According to the doctor, he was lying to protect a colleague who had made a horrific surgery mistake. The mistake caused a stroke that left the patient permanently brain damaged. Attorneys representing… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Malpractice Trial
The Florida Medical Malpractice Case that Will Shock You
The Florida Board of Medicine may revoke the license of a doctor who failed to treat one of his cancer patients with chemotherapy. According to Florida Health Department officials involved in the case, there is “clear and convincing evidence” that the doctor committed medical malpractice and financially exploited his patient. This doctor’s failure to diagnose… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Misdiagnosis
Is Your Hospital Guilty of this Common Mistake?
Patient identification mistakes are tragic and preventable. When these mistakes are made, patients have organs unnecessarily removed, are subjected to harmful treatments and given unnecessary medications. Take for example a recent case in Massachusetts, where a surgeon working as a contractor removed a kidney from the wrong patient! To be honest, these types of errors… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Negligence
Can Political Opinions Affect the Standard of Care?
Presidential elections can bring out the worst in people, especially your friends, family members and coworkers. But what about your doctor? A new study conducted by researchers at Yale University claims the political affiliations of doctors might affect quality of care patients receive. The important question is: can it also affect the standard of care?… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Negligence
Can You Research Your Doctor’s Disciplinary History?
You would research a job candidate or contractor working on your house, right? How about the doctor who is scheduled to perform your next check up? Many people would say no to the second question, simply because they are unaware of the different ways to research doctors. There are tools Florida patients can use to… Read more »
Tags: CheckUp
Posted in Medical Malpractice
What is the Most Common Medical Mistake?
Reports released by British Medical Journal and other publications suggest medical errors have becoming a leading cause of death in the United States. Medical errors can happen for various reasons, but some mistakes are more common than others. Diagnostic errors are the most common medical mistake. According to a study published in the medical journal… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Misdiagnosis
