There are many good hospitals and other medical facilities in Ohio. Perhaps you and your family have been under the care of the same physician for years. Nowadays, however, it’s not uncommon to see several different doctors every time you seek a medical examination, especially if you are receiving prenatal care in pregnancy. There’s always a risk that you may suffer injury or illness when exposed to a medical environment.
However, as a patient, you can reasonably expect that any doctor, nurse, practitioner or other medical staff member who tends to your care will act according to the highest level of accepted safety standards. Sadly, thousands of people fall victim to negligence every year, when licensed medical professionals fail in their obligations to provide effective and safe support to their patients.
What are the leading causes of medical error?
If your doctor discusses a pending procedure with you and informs you of the known risks and possible adverse side effects of the treatment, you may consider yourself well-informed and determine that the potential benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks. If your doctor fails to inform you of such risks or otherwise acts with negligence, you may wind up in worse condition after treatment than you were prior to the procedure. The following list shows some of the most common reasons medical errors occur:
- Lack of proper monitoring
- Misdiagnosis
- Poor communication between staff members
- Failure to document details regarding patient health
- Incorrect patient information in medical records
- Failure to adhere to standard policies
- Worker fatigue
There are a great number of other issues that may result in medical errors, which in turn can cause you to suffer injury or illness, or even a life-threatening condition. If a nurse, doctor, pharmacist or other staff member discovers an error, he or she should immediately report it through the proper channels. Those involved should file an incident report that includes the date and time of the injury, as well as any and all pertinent patient information.
Once the damage is there
Some medical injuries are irreparable, such as if a surgeon would mistakenly amputate the wrong limb. Operating on the wrong body parts is one of the most frequently reported surgical errors that occur in Ohio hospitals and operating rooms across the country. If you survive a medical negligence incident, you may need surgery, physical therapy or special medication to help you recover, depending on the circumstances that led to your injury. Many injured medical patients turn to the court to hold negligent parties legally accountable for their actions.