Some medical treatment is straightforward and minimally risky. An individual with a large laceration requires proper sanitization of the wound followed by stitches. A patient with a fracture in their arm needs an x-ray, a cast and maybe physical therapy after the bone...
Synthetic opioid medications changed the world of modern medicine when they became widely available. Previously, there were frequent shortages of traditional opiate medications based on factors including production limitations and international conflict. The ability...
When most people have to check into a hospital or have an outpatient procedure done, they don’t give much thought to who actually owns it. That’s especially true if it’s a local hospital that they’re familiar with. Many hospitals are part of a vast regional or even...
People can sustain catastrophic injuries in many different scenarios. A doctor might make a mistake during a surgery. A car crash could result in a brain injury or damage to an individual's spinal cord. Defective products could electrocute a consumer or cause a house...
When a loved one is hospitalized, it’s only natural for family members to feel anxious and helpless. That’s true whether it involves a planned surgery or a sudden illness or injury. When that loved one is a child, senior or someone whose thinking or communication...
Patients place a lot of trust in the healthcare professionals providing their care. Physicians typically command respect and trust. People assume that the doctors treating them have the knowledge and skill necessary to help them pursue the best possible prognosis. For...
Electronic health records (EHRs) have become the standard for medical record-keeping in hospitals, clinics and private practices in the U.S. in recent years. While these systems offer benefits such as improved efficiency and easy access to patient information, they...
While artificial intelligence (AI) can improve our lives in countless ways, one of the inherent risks is that professionals can rely on it to do too much. Without realizing it, they can also allow it to put distance between them and the people they’re serving. One...
The diagnostic process is complex. Health care professionals can sometimes arrive at an affirmative diagnosis by validating the presence of a specific injury or pathogen. Other times, health care professionals reach a diagnosis due to exclusion. They may conduct tests...
Medical malpractice laws protect patients who end up harmed when they seek medical care. Quite a few medical malpractice lawsuits relate to negligence rather than acts of intentional misconduct. Patients may allege that a healthcare provider did something that...
