How Can Patients Protect Themselves from Readmissions?
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) statistics show that one in five hospital patients face readmission within 30 days after discharge. Hospital readmissions remain high across the country for several reasons. Patients may succumb to infections after leaving the hospital, or they may be released before receiving adequate treatment. Hospitals may also do a… Read more »
Tags: HealthNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can This National Campaign Prevent Chemotherapy Errors?
A campaign launched by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is seeking to prevent medical mistakes involving a certain type of chemotherapy drug. The “Just Bag It” campaign centers around vincristine, a drug used to treat patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Since the 1960’s, there have been 125 fatal chemotherapy errors worldwide caused by this… Read more »
Tags: Chemo
Posted in Medication Errors
Are Sleep Deprived Doctors Causing Medical Mistakes?
Would you trust an airline pilot to fly your plane if they had not received enough sleep? Almost everyone would answer “no” to this question. After all, we depend on airline pilots with our lives. The same goes for doctors and other health care professionals. Would you trust a sleep deprived doctor to carry out… Read more »
Tags: PatientCare
Posted in Medical Malpractice
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
