Safety experts and researchers say wrong site surgeries may be on the rise based on data compiled by the Joint Commission, an organization that accredits hospitals and other health care institutions, The Washington Post reports. Wrong site surgeries include operating on the wrong limb, the wrong organ or the wrong […]
Category: Medical Malpractice
Dementia Patients Receive Potentially Lethal Antipsychotic Drugs
“Government, taxpayers, nursing home residents as well as their families and caregivers should be outraged and seek solutions,” says Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, in announcing the result of a DHHS audit which found that nearly one in seven elderly nursing home […]
One in Three Hospital Patients Will Be Injured by a Medical Mistake
No one wants to believe this frightening fact. One in three? That’s right. Studies now show that one out of every three hospital admissions includes an injury to a patient due to a medical mistake. If everyone knew how dangerous hospitals are, I wouldn’t have to explain my job at […]
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
There is something wrong with this picture – right? Putting a price tag on the medical liability system is difficult, but one 2010 study estimated it costs the United States more than $55 billion annually, or 2.4 percent of the country’s healthcare spending. In addition, experts say tens of thousands […]
Don’t Believe The ‘Stella Awards’ Emails!
Every year, chain emails about the ‘Stella Awards’ are forwarded. These emails contain false stories about lawsuits and are designed to make you think that people are getting rich off of frivolous lawsuits that are ruining our country. Don’t believe this propaganda. Snopes.org, a website that ‘fact checks’ urban legends […]
A Family Health History Can Be An Important Health Tool
Uncovering your family health history may be beneficial in predicting the diseases you may experience. This is according to a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic as reported in FindLaw.com. Family gatherings offer a great opportunity to learn you family medical history- which is most insightful if thoroughly gathered from […]
Hospital Medical Errors Continue At Alarming Rate
A recent study entitled “Adverse Events in Hospitals: National Incidence Among Medicare Beneficiaries” published on the website for the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services points out that medical errors are still costly in terms of lives and money. “The study said unexpected adverse […]
Three Remedies May Help Prevent Hospital Errors
An opinion piece in USA Today states there are three solutions being used to address the crisis problem of medical errors in hospitals worth expanding. A 1999 Institute of Medicine report stated that as many as 98,000 people die from preventable medical errors annually. Recently the Inspector General, head of […]
Study Indicates Preventable Errors in NC Hospitals Not Improving
One in five patients are unintentionally injured by the care they receive in hospitals with little improvement in those statistics with the passage of time. That is the conclusion of a new study to be released by the New England Journal of Medicine the New York Times reports. The study […]
Courageous Doctor Admits Surgical Mistake
Admitting a mistake and learning from it is common wisdom, but in the medical field, medical providers rarely admit they make mistakes, leading to a climate of distrust and less patient safety. That’s why it’s important to highlight instances where a medical provider admits a mistake and applaud that medical […]