The rate of medical errors increases with physician fatigue, which should be no surprise to anyone. But a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reporting on the type of errors that occur with fatigue is surprising. The article reports that prescription of unnecessary antibiotics increased with each hour that a doctor was working. For example, [...]
Medical errors may arise as a result of forgotten central venous catheters (CVC), according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study reports that as many as one in five healthcare workers may not be able to recall whether their patients have central line. Not surprisingly, teaching physicians and hospitalists were more likely [...]
Medical errors related to "drive by medicine" appear to be on the rise. As an Ohio medical malpractice attorney, I see bad trends in medicine before they are reported. I am speaking with more patients who have had serious medical issues that were passed over by a consulting specialist who was too focused on a single issue to see the [...]
Medical errors can occur when critical lab values are not properly communicated. A critical lab value is one that is so at odds with normal lab values that it potentially portrays a life threatening condition, unless immediate corrective action is taken. Laboratories can measure a variety of body fluids, including urine, sputum and blood, or process tissue samples [...]
Medical errors not only cause injury and wrongful death, but they also lead to increased costs of healthcare for all Americans. A recent study shows that U.S. healthcare is not only the worst when compared with other leading industrialized countries, but it is also the most expensive by far. Why is this acceptable? Americans are proud of [...]
Suing for medical malpractice is a very costly undertaking and one that few attorneys can pursue. When a case proceeds to trial, the stakes are high and the victim of the medical error places his or her faith and trust with the jury to do the right thing. One of the primary goals of a [...]
I had previously reported that medical errors kill up to 98,000 Americans each year, based on statistics published in the Institute of Medicine's 2000 publication "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System." A May 2014 report published in Consumer Reports estimates that the number of deaths from medical mistakes may be four times [...]
Sometimes medical errors occur because an unnecessary test or procedure is suggested to an unwitting patient. This is such an extremely common problem that the American Board of Internal Medicine started an initiative called "Choosing Wisely" to identify specific areas of overutilization in various specialties of medicine. You can read more here: http://www.choosingwisely.org/doctor-patient-lists/. Under Ohio law, overuse [...]
Medical errors are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. each year. We typically hear about deaths caused by cancer, heart disease and auto collisions. The campaign to find a cure for cancer or heart disease is commendable, as is patient safety in the operation of motor vehicles. Safety rules to prevent [...]
A recent study released by a nonprofit organization confirms that hospital and medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. each year. This statistic is staggering but unfortunately not surprising! According to The Leapfrog Group, 440,000 patients are dying each year due to preventable hospital errors. "We are burying a population the [...]
