When a misdiagnosis becomes medical malpractice Doctors occasionally make mistakes. They are human, like everyone else. Failure to notice a single detail in a patient’s blood results could lead to a misdiagnosis. However, that in itself does not constitute malpractice. For the law to consider a mistake to be malpractice, the patient has to prove they […]

You do not expect to go into the hospital for surgery to heal a problem and then come out of surgery with an even bigger problem. This should never happen. In fact, there are several things in the health care field that should never happen. Physician Ken Kizer coined the term “Never Event” in 2001 […]

How to protect your loved one from nursing home neglect When your family member lives in a nursing home, you count on the staff of the facility to provide excellent care. Though most nursing homes provide outstanding service, you may worry about the potential for neglect. If you believe that your loved one is not […]

Study finds even experienced radiologists may miss cancer signs Every year, millions of Americans receive some kind of misdiagnosis. From failing to recognize important symptoms to neglecting to order appropriate tests, when a trusted health care professional makes a diagnostic mistake, the outcome can be devastating for the patient: physically, financially and emotionally. Sometimes a practitioner […]

In early 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched a Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse to eliminate loopholes that allowed truckers who abused substances to continue to work. The clearinghouse is a database that lists truck drivers and any substance abuse violations received by them. Employers of CDL drivers have an obligation to register their […]

If you rely on prescriptions for short or long-term health concerns, you might want to practice a little discernment when choosing a pharmacy. Medication errors are a common cause of pharmacy/medical malpractice that affects many lives. Pharmacists and their staff must adhere to the highest standard of care when performing their duties. Even so, issues do arise […]

If you need long-term care for a serious illness or injury, nurses at the hospital should evaluate your fall risk. If they determine you have an increased likelihood of slipping, tripping or falling, they should place a yellow bracelet on your wrist. This bracelet alerts all health care workers to your propensity to fall. Falls […]

Early treatment is massively beneficial with cancer of almost any type. That’s why early detection can save lives. Unfortunately, you cannot always count on your doctor to do this for you. Doctors make mistakes, overlook issues, decide that a clear case of cancer is something else entirely and make misdiagnosis errors that can put your […]

The underreporting of surgical errors and harm to patients When you go to the hospital, you will likely see posters touting the safety precautions the facility puts in place, but none highlighting medical mistakes. If you are about to undergo surgery, you must depend on the skill of your surgeon and trust that you will […]

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention classifies a medication error as a preventable event that creates adverse effects or inappropriate use. U.S. consumers report more than 1 million such errors to the Food and Drug Administration every year. Review the facts about medication errors and seek assistance if you or a family […]