Are Children More Vulnerable to Medical Errors?
Children are more likely than adults to suffer permanent disabilities or death from medical errors. This is because organs and immune systems are still developing during early childhood. Children are also less capable of communicating with doctors or nurses when errors are made. For these reasons, it is important for parents to help prevent medical… Read more »
Tags: Parenting
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Pokémon Go Endanger the Safety of Hospital Patients?
Millions of people across the world are playing Pokémon Go, a new smartphone game that superimposes the famous franchise over the real world. The goal of the game is to visit these locations and capture as many Pokémon as possible. Unfortunately, this has caused problems for players capturing Pokémon at police stations, on crowded freeways,… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
EMS ‘Selfie War’ an Example of Shocking Unprofessional Behavior by Medical Workers
Medical professionals such as doctors, nurses and EMS workers are tasked with the most important jobs in the world – saving the lives of other people. When these professionals misbehave or neglect their duties to care for others, patients can face serious harm. Unfortunately, recent examples of patient abuse show unprofessional behavior happens more than… Read more »
Tags: PatientRights
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Why are Surgical Mistakes Kept from Patients and Families?
Several weeks ago, we discussed the possibility that hospitals have a ‘culture of silence’ when patients are harmed by medical mistakes. Recent research suggests many doctors still hide medical errors, but that the number is gradually increasing. An article published by CBS News claims many doctors still remain silent on mistakes. According to a study… Read more »
Tags: PatientRights
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Historical Medical Mistakes You Won’t Believe: Death of a President
We often discuss on our blog how patients affected by modern medical mistakes can be killed or left permanently disabled. Historical medical mistakes led to identical outcomes for patients. In some cases, historical medical mistakes had world-changing implications. Throughout the next several months, we are going to walk you through several examples of medical mistakes… Read more »
Tags: History
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Chicago Medical Malpractice Case a Textbook Example of Birth Injury
Birth injuries can have devastating costs for children and their families, both emotional and financial. Even worse, these emotional and medical costs are often preventable. We can use a recent medical malpractice case to explore the consequences of birth injuries further. A Chicago mother and her child were awarded $53 million from a medical malpractice… Read more »
Tags: Pregnancy
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Why A Former Microsoft Engineer is Determined to Improve Hospital Safety
The Seattle Times recently published the story of a former Microsoft engineer who was left paralyzed from the chest down due to a medical mistake. According to The Seattle Times, the engineer had suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a condition that causes the spinal cord to become inflamed and brittle. The condition can also cause spinal… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Are Alerts and Alarms Contributing to Hospital Mistakes?
Hospitals are increasingly using electronic patient records and other technologies that can alert doctors, nurses and other staff to patient emergencies or other events. Doctors are bombarded with reminders on their smartphones, email popups to attend meetings and electronic patient records that warn of dangerous medication interactions or allergies. The alerts are so frequent that… Read more »
Tags: HospitalSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
How to Use the Internet to Pull Your Doctor’s Disciplinary History
We recently wrote a blog suggesting that medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in the United States, coming only behind cancer and heart disease. Although other hospital staff members are sometimes responsible for medical mistakes, it cannot hurt to check your doctor’s disciplinary history before setting up an appointment. Depending on… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can Computerized Medical Equipment Harm Patients?
Computerized medical equipment can help doctors and other hospital staff diagnose patients, carry out surgeries and keep people alive. Software is often used to turn normal tablets and PCs into high-tech medical devices. However, these devices are only as good as the people using them, for now. We can use a recent example to discuss… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
