When you learn that you have a medical condition that needs attention, you certainly want to ensure that you not only receive the best care but also receive the correct treatment. Substandard care, misdiagnoses, improper treatments and other medical malpractice issues may have you concerned about your potential care. However, you will still likely need to move forward with some sort of treatment in order to address your condition.
If you find yourself among the numerous individuals whose medical apprehensions become warranted due to suffering from a medical mistake, you may feel disappointed, confused and concerned about your future. In some cases, you may suffer long-term effects from a doctor’s negligence, and you may have reason to take legal action. If the basis of your claim relates to a doctor’s failure to meet the standard of care, you need to prepare to prove that claim.
What is the standard of care?
Generally, the medical standard of care relates to how a physician attends to a medical issue. It can relate to both the diagnostic portion of care as well as the treatment itself. In order to determine the standard of care, appropriate individuals look to determine whether other medical providers in a similar position would have carried out the same or similar actions as your doctor. If it is determined that the average physician would have taken the same course of action, your doctor may have followed the standard of care.
Do standards vary?
You may also want to remember that the term “standard of care” is a general, umbrella phrase. This means that it can apply to various situations, but it does not always carry the same definition for each scenario. For instance, when treating cancer, a new treatment may meet a certain standard of care, but it does not mean that the treatment is the only applicable standard of care for that patient or case.
How can you prove a failure to meet this standard?
If you believe that your doctor or other medical staff did not meet the applicable standard of care, you may have the ability to use that information as part of a medical malpractice claim. However, you would need to provide evidence of your claim. Your legal presentation could potentially include testimony from medical professionals, information from medical research or particular details from your case. Because medical malpractice claims may prove complicated to address, you may wish to enlist the assistance of an Ohio attorney.