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
Can Predatory Bacteria Halt the Spread of Superbugs?
Superbugs are antibiotic resistant bacteria that researchers suggest may kill 10 million people every year by 2050. The threat posed by superbugs is so serious that some researchers have compared it to global warming. World health organizations are calling for an ‘antibiotics revolution’ to stop the spread and development of new superbugs. Such a revolution… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Patient Profiling: Are Addicts Mistreated by Medical Professionals?
An estimated 23.5 million Americans suffer from drug and alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, Americans with medical histories of addiction may be treated in a discriminatory fashion by health care professionals. Even patients suspected of being addicts may run into trouble. This practice is referred to as ‘patient profiling’, where patients are stereotyped by medical professionals to… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Why Patients Are at Risk of Medication Errors During Hospital Discharge
Medication errors are an increasingly common threat to patients being discharged from hospitals. Four years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School conducted a study on medication errors and hospital discharges. Researchers used 851 hospital patients undergoing treatment for heart disease to assess the scope of the problem. Half of the patients experienced medication errors during… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Bad News: Medical Mistakes Become the Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
New research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) claims medical mistakes have become the third leading cause of death in America, right behind cancer and heart disease. In a strange twist of irony, it seems hospitals may be among the most dangerous places for your health. A similar study published in 1999 discovered medical… Read more »
Tags: HealthcareNews
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can This Family Change Florida Wrongful Death Laws?
Two weeks ago, we wrote a blog discussing the consequences of hospital overcrowding on patient safety. A recent story involving the parents of a woman who died due to hospital overcrowding can serve as further evidence for our point, but it can also show why Florida’s wrongful death laws can be perceived as unfair. The… Read more »
Tags: Healthcare
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Women Tells Nursing Class Horror Story of Incorrectly Administered Drugs
Nursing students at Penn State University were given the lecture of a lifetime by Sorrel King, a national patient safety advocate and victim of a horrific medical mistake. Sorrel’s story begins in 2001, when she lost her 18-month-old daughter at Johns Hopkins Hospital to a preventable medication error. Like many parents who have lost their… Read more »
Tags: PatientSafety
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Superbug Nightmare: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria May Kill 10 Million Per Year by 2050
World health organizations have expressed alarm at the continued spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, also known as ‘superbugs’. In the U.S., the problem has become a major source of concern inside and outside of hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show 23,000 Americans die from superbug infections every year. For the… Read more »
Tags: SuperBugs
Posted in Medical Malpractice
In Hospitals, Silence Hurts
For victims of medical mistakes and their families, emotional pain and suffering continue long after errors are made. Victims and family members may want answers, and in many cases, hospitals only offer silence. A recent Forbes article covered this subject quite well, and it shows how patients and health care providers are emotionally hurt by… Read more »
Tags: PatientRights
Posted in Medical Malpractice
