Jonesboro Personal Injury Lawyer - Medical Malpractice

Hospital Negligence: Yes, Hospitals are Dangerous Places

Paul Ford — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:32:20 GMT

A trip to your local emergency room can be a very dangerous experience. Hospital negligence is of epidemic proportions. And this in not the opinion of lawyers. It is the opinion of the medical community.

Current research done by the medical community suggests that nearly 200,000 patients die each year in hospitals as victims of medical mistakes.

Furthermore, there is little evidence that this stagering statistic has improved.

The 2008 study referenced above was conducted by a review of Medicare patient records, usually the poorest members of our society. Can one conclude that economics plays a role in the level and quality of healthcare one receives? Perhaps. But what is certain is that hospitals are dangerous places and medical errors do occur.

Imagine the uproar that would occur if 390 jumbo jets loaded with passengers were to crash and kill all of the passengers over the rest of the year 2009. The level of scrutiny would be unprecedented. The news coverage would be nonstop. People would be demanding that the system be fixed. Yet, as the 2004 study pointed out, that is the number of deaths occurring in American hospitals as a result of preventable errors.

It is not uncommon to pick up a newspaper or turn on the news and hear someone talking about the problems created by the filing of medical malpractice actions. Yet, when reviewing the studies referenced above, it is clear that the real epidemic is in the number of preventable medical errors occuring in hospitals. And the numbers cited above are for DEATHS, not injuries that the patient recovers from. When those numbers are added, the number of preventable errors in American hospitals each year is mind-numbing.

Perhaps you or a loved one has had a similar experience. If so, I would love to learn more about your experience. It is important to share this information. Further, I invite you to check back to this site as we post additional articles, written by a doctor and a nurse, about things you can do to help prevent such medical injuries and protect yourself and your loved ones.

GOLDEN, Colo. (April 8, 2008)

– Patient safety incidents cost the federal Medicare program $8.8 billion and resulted in 238,337 potentially preventable deaths during 2004 through 2006, according to HealthGrades' fifth annual Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study.

HealthGrades' analysis of 41 million Medicare patient records found that patients treated at topperforming hospitals had, on average, a 43 percent lower chance of experiencing one or moremedical errors compared to the poorest-performing hospitals

– An average of 195,000 people in the U.S. died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, according to a new study of 37 million patient records that was released today by HealthGrades, the healthcare quality company

Lakewood, Colo. (July 27, 2004)

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Ford

You're the Patient-Take Charge

Jeanie Oliver — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:48:52 GMT

I think this post would be considered more of a conversation with you, the reader, the potential patient. There has been a lot of media attention around Dennis Quaid's twins and their experience with the drug, Heparin. I was reading today another short article about the situation and it brought to mind my own experience with this potentially lethal drug.

Having been admitted to the hospital for heart related problems, the nurse came in to give me a shot. A shot in the stomach. I questioned why I was being given medication when there was no diagnosis yet. The reply was that it is standard procedure to give the heparin, a blood thinner, when there is the possibility of a heart attack having occurred. I had not even met the cardiologist yet and I was being treated for a heart attack.

I asked her to wait a few moments while I thought about this. What if there was something else wrong with me and a blood thinner would make it worse? Could there not be dire consequences for some patients who are generically administered a drug based on the floor of the hospital they were admitted to upon arrival? While I pondered calling my family who would know a lot more about the situation than I did, I simply ask for a more detailed explanation about what Heparin does to the body. The reply was one that I'll not ever forget, "It's your life, and you might die without the proper medication."

How true. It is my life and it's your life. Ask for explanations and reasons for everything the medical community wants to do to your body. The nurse was so right, I might die without the proper medication, and we have subsequently learned that with my diagnosis, I should never take a blood thinner! So when they ask to see your tummy and hold those needles in the air, ask for a moment to think, "Do I need this, and what if I don't?"

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeanie Oliver

'Condition H', Does Your Hospital Have It?

Ryan Scott — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:36:40 GMT

For the fifth straight year, a preventable safety mistake known as ‘Failure to Rescue’ is the leading cause of preventable death in U.S. hospitals. More than surgical mistakes, the wrong or overdose of drugs, or unforeseeable complications; ‘Failure to Rescue’ is the most common preventable problem.

Failure to rescue refers to cases in which caregivers fail to notice or respond when a patient is dying of preventable complications. These complications usually begin as mild (but detectable) and, in Failure to Rescue cases, are not treated until it is too late. Failure to Rescue caused 128 out of 1,000 preventable deaths in U.S. hospitals between 2004 and 2006. The Fifth Annual Healthgrades Study cited the failure of medical professionals, nurses and doctors alike, to notice increasing minor symptoms as the cause of dire results.

Failure to Rescue should be a concern of anyone who is hospitalized or has a loved one in the hospital. It is estimated that, at least, 75% of ‘Code Blue’ (a common term for patients in acute distress) are preceded by a Failure to Rescue. Painkillers, typically given after surgery, can increase the probability of a Failure to Rescue, because the symptoms of the painkillers can sometimes mask a more serious problem. Also, while a hospital’s patient to staff ratio is relevant, the more determining factor is the training and expertise of the staff, and whether they have the resources to do their job.

So what can you do?

A growing number of hospitals across the country are utilizing a procedure known as ‘Condition H’. Condition H allows a patient or loved one to summon emergency help, the same emergency number that doctors and nurses use, when they feel distress. Early studies have shown that hospitals that allow the patient to make sure they are not the victim of preventable error decreases the rate of Failure to Rescue.

Second, make sure your hospital staff has the necessary training and resources for your particular problem. In this age of hospital overcrowding and overloaded hospital staff, it is worth the inquiry to see if the hospital you are considering is properly trained and equipped, including using ‘Condition H’… you may just save your own life.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ryan Scott

Questionable Doctors

Frank Bailey — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:37:50 GMT

Has your doctor been disciplined? The National Practitioner Data Bank is kept secret from both patients and from almost all physicians thanks to the American Medical Association's successful lobbying for secrecy when the legislation concerning the Data Bank was being considered.

Public Citizen's Health Research Group has established its own data bank of doctors who have been disciplined. The data bank lists 20,125 doctors disciplined by either state medical boards or federal agencies. The most frequent offenses listed were substandard care, criminal convictions, overprescribing drugs, substance abuse and sexual abuse of a patient.

Analysis of the 2,232 doctors who were the subjects of DEA disciplinary actions revealed that hundreds were not the subject of any state disciplinary action, even though their federal narcotics license had been revoked or restricted.

Of the 3,232 doctors who were subjects of Medicare disciplinary action, hundreds were not disciplined by their state boards.

We at the Bailey and Oliver Law Firm believe the National Practitioner Data Bank should be removed from the cloud of secrecy and the public should have access to its contents. Why have lists if the public cannot access the information? We believe health care safety would be improved if the list was made public. If you have been the victim of a medical error shouldn't you have the right to look at your doctors record? Frank Bailey is listed in Best Lawyers in America and has over 30 years experience with medical cases.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Medication Errors Cause Injury and Death

Frank Bailey — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:11:14 GMT

Health care is not as safe as it should be. A substantial body of evidence points to medical errors as a leading cause of death and injury in America. These preventable adverse events are the 8th leading cause of death in the United States.

Sizable numbers of Americans are harmed as a result of medical malpractice. Deaths due to preventable adverse events in hospitals (malpractice) exceed the deaths attributable to motor vehicle accidents (43,458), breast cancer (42,297) or AIDS (16,516). This is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention preliminary data for 1998.
At least 44,000 and perhaps as many as 98,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors as reported by The Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences.
Trial attorneys fight everyday to build a safer system of care to ensure that patients are safe from accidental injury. Safety in medical care, if discussed at all by the medical profession, is discussed only behind closed doors under the protection of confidentiality. That is why it is so important to get these issues of patient safety out before the public in a jury trial if you or a loved one have been injured due to a medical error.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Patient Rights-Respect and Courtesy?

Jeanie Oliver — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:13:28 GMT

I have recently been diagnosed with an autonomic nervous system dysfunction called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, POTS for short. What I have is not so important in this blog as how I have been treated by medical professionals. Most of you probably think "treated" means what the doctors have prescribed, recommended, tests that have been run, etc.

In this article, though, I mean "treated" as another verb. I mean how the doctors behaved, what they said, and the amount of time they spent with me. I just want to get better. I think most people go to a doctor so they can have a problem solved. If, when you get your explanation from the doctor, they are rude or short with you, tell them that you don't appreciate this behavior.
If my car has a problem, I take it to a mechanic to be diagnosed and fixed. If my mechanic can manage to be charming and give a careful explanation, then is it so little to ask of someone making 10 times more money to at least be polite?!! Now, most doctors' egos would be so smashed if I told them that I compared them to a mechanic. After all, saving my car is not the same as saving my life!
After a young doctor told me that he didn't have all day and asked if I was going to get on the treadmill, it took me just seconds to realize that he didn't even know my name. I was frightened, suffering chest pains, and my heartrate was already higher than his target rate for the stress test. I decided that my next appointment would be different. I simply googled, "how to talk to your doctor".
It was amazing how many helpful sites that I found. One of the best was the AARP site,http://www.aarp.org/health/staying_healthy/prevention/a2003-03-13-talkdr.html.This site gave me so much great information. So since I go to the doctor once a week, I am prepared to gently convince the next doctor that I deserve to be "treated" with respect. He or she could throw in a little charm with the diagnosis. I am now empowered enough to expect this with my next visit!!

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Medical Malpractice and Negligent Care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeanie Oliver

Boston Doctors Lose Medical Malpractice Case

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:16:08 GMT

Two doctors from a Boston hospital have lost a medical malpractice lawsuit. A jury awarded the plantiff $26.5 Million for a family to care for a child with cerebral palsy. The family contends that a lack of monitoring and failure to perform a timely c-section injured their son.

A Suffolk County jury issued the verdict Thursday. The damages against two Brigham and Women's doctors are believed to be the largest medical malpractice award this year and one of the biggest in state history, Bejarano's attorney said.
"It was an award for him," said Bejarano, 42, a self-employed trucker. "It's for him just to make his life better, as much as we can."

The child was born ten years ago. The doctors continue to practice medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and are planning on appealing the verdict.

If you would like to learn more about medical malpractice, please visit InjuryBoard's Medical Malpractice information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann