3 reasons medication mistakes occur in modern hospitals
The medication that you receive while in the hospital may be the cornerstone of the treatment that you undergo or may serve to keep you comfortable enough to continue receiving necessary medical care. In both cases, proper administration of your medication will be crucial both to ensure the efficacy of...
What every patient should know about medical misdiagnosis
When you are ill and need medical help, you expect your physician to figure out what is wrong with you. You hope your visit will result in getting the medication or treatment you need and you will be feeling better soon. But unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Doctors at times...
What if my doctor makes a surgical error?
If you have an upcoming surgery scheduled, you probably have been a bit fearful about it. You know every surgery comes with risks. Even routine procedures sometimes come with complications. But what if something worse happens? What if your doctor makes a critical surgical error? Surgical errors At least 4,000...
Surgical errors are frightfully common among patients
The average American undergoes around nine surgical procedures in their lifetime, varying from the most basic surgeries to the most complex medical procedures. And each time they go under the knife, they are at risk for major consequences. According to a study from Coverys, surgery is the second most common...
The severe consequences behind misdiagnosing diabetes
Many medical researchers notice a dangerous pattern among patients where more than one-third of adults over 30 are incorrectly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes while they actually display symptoms of type 1 diabetes. A study released in April 2019 revealed that older patients displayed the same symptoms occurring in younger,...
Common signals that your medication is wrong
Most Pennsylvanian residents know the importance of proper medical care, especially in today’s current climate. However, mistakes happen, and it has detrimental effects on patients. It is particularly stressful when it comes to medication errors. One wrong dose or pill will have significant health ramifications, so it’s critical to know...
Signs of misdiagnosis for patients
Most patients rely on their doctors when it comes to diagnosis and treatments, as they should. Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals train for years to be experts in their field, and they often rely on minimal information to come to an official plan. However, medical staff members are just...
Are remote appointments replacing physical exams?
Before 2020 created new problems across the world, most people would regularly visit their doctors each year for a physical examination. It was always straightforward and routine for a majority of patients. However, 2020 is changing the routine. Many patients now rely on telemedicine as their primary source for treatments...
Differences between an at-home and at-hospital birth
Most mothers-to-be consider every option for their births. They want to ensure that they don’t assume anything and chose the right environment for them and their children. However, there are significant differences between home births and births in hospitals. Births at home Home births encapsulate any births that do not...
How common is misdiagnosis?
Most patients rely on doctors or medical professionals to know what is wrong with them and how to treat it. That’s why patients visit the hospital and try to avoid self-diagnosis. However, there is still a small risk that you receive a diagnosis for your ailment. But how common is...
Four common mistakes associated with medication errors
Healthcare professionals are an essential part of any society. They are the people who sacrifice their time and spend most of their careers helping thousands of people every year. However, they are still people who can make mistakes. Those mistakes lead to significant problems for hospitals and patients as they...
Ways to help the birth process
First-time mothers may feel overwhelmed by the delivery process because most people paint labor as one of the most painful experiences your body goes through. You must mentally and physically prepare to give birth, and it only falls on your shoulders. Luckily, there are ways to help new moms get...
Could social media hinder patients’ trust?
It seems like there is always a new social media platform popping up. It started with MySpace, and then popularity grew in apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, the newest app may be causing complications for medical personnel across the nation. The newest app, TikTok, relates the most...
How to return home from the hospital stronger than before
People visit the hospital to feel better, whether they are experiencing a common cold, a severe injury or life-threatening illness. However, there are some circumstances where patients leave the hospital in worse shape than they came in. Unfortunately, hospitals are not the optimal environment to recover in, according to Consumer...
Six reasons for infant injuries during birth
Birth is one of the most beautiful and challenging experiences that a mother goes through. You are bringing life into the world and starting a new phase in your future. But unfortunately, the delivery process is more difficult for some mothers. Some parents have to deal with birth injuries after...
Neil Armstrong’s sons receive a settlement in a malpractice suit
Neil Armstrong will always be regarded as one of the most influential figures in American history. Unfortunately, his life was cut short after receiving heart surgery in a Cincinnati hospital in 2012. At 82, most people assumed it was his time but not his sons. The two sons accused the...
Radiology may lead to mistakes during diagnosis
Diagnosis is the first and most critical step in the treatment process because doctors need to know what a patient has to treat them properly. Most doctors rely on different testing to assure the correct diagnosis for their patients. Most physicians rely on radiologists, doctors who read diagnostics films from...
Nurses are at risk for sleep deprivation and sleep disorders
Sleep is an essential component of our health. Every doctor or healthcare professional recommends adults and children receive an adequate amount of sleep to support mental functions and our physical bodies. But there is an irony to nurses who recommend sleep to their patients according to a recent study. The...
How Do I Know if My Injury Resulted From My Doctor’s Negligence?
As with any negligence claim, a medical malpractice allegation requires the plaintiff to establish the applicable standard of care, or duty. What distinguishes medical malpractice litigation from other personal injury lawsuits is that this standard is typically established through expert testimony. When Should I Consult with An Attorney? There is...
Are virtual doctor’s visits good for your child?
Smartphones can make parenting much more convenient. You no longer have to remember the way to every friend’s house, you can set reminders for when to pick your children up from activities and you can easily talk to your child when they are away with a simple text. Getting help...
Brain injuries are often more complex than the scans show
Traumatic brain injuries are among the most tragic outcomes of serious accidents. A severe injury can leave the victim institutionalized for life. Even milder brain injuries, however, can have far-reaching effects on all areas of life. And science is only beginning to make sense of the most complex organ in...
Are anesthesia mistakes a common problem in hospitals?
Any time you enter a hospital to undergo a procedure, there are risks involved. It is safe to say that most Pennsylvania residents are aware of some of these risks. However, the dangers associated with anesthesia errors often go overlooked. A big part of informing patients about their medical procedures...
Netflix documentary shed lights on defective medical devices
It’s not exactly binge-watching material, but next time you’re browsing through Netflix, you might come across “The Bleeding Edge.” The recently added documentary dives into the dark side of the medical industry. It explores loopholes companies apparently pass through when gaining FDA approval. Multiple women take the spotlight, sharing horrific...
When doctors get it wrong (Part 3): Brain-eating amoebas
Living in America, we take it for granted that dreadful parasites like bot flies or malaria inhabit our lands. However, one particularly gruesome parasite does live here. And it’s quite common in freshwater streams, lakes and even tap water. A few weeks ago, in part 2 of this series, we...
When doctors get it wrong (Part 2): Flesh-eating bacteria
It sounds like a nightmare: After vacationing in Florida, a 50-year-old Indiana woman develops a small pimple-like bump. It continues to grow and becomes more and more painful. Left untreated, it eventually develops into a full-blown skin infection, claiming the woman’s life. The cause? Necrotizing fasciitis – a flesh-eating bacterial...
When doctors get it wrong (Part 1): Brain-fluid leak misdiagnosed as allergies
In a story that made national headlines, a healthy 52-year-old Nebraska woman had suffered from a runny nose for years. Her symptoms began after a car accident slammed her face into the dashboard. Doctors initially diagnosed her with allergies, but typical anti-allergy treatments never seemed to help. She finally saw...
Medical malpractice and painkiller prescriptions
The growing number of lawsuits generated by the opioid epidemic are clear evidence that the problem is out of control. Recently, a number of these lawsuits have included prominent pain doctors. These doctors helped expand the use of addictive opioids in the treatment of pain. In some cases, they profited...
Could your loved one’s fall have been due to hospital negligence?
When an elderly or vulnerable loved one is hospitalized, you expect them to be treated with the utmost of care. That means taking steps to prevent your loved one from falling. Unfortunately, hospital falls are far too common, and they can cause serious injuries – especially in patients whose health...
How ER pharmacists can help reduce medication errors
Medication errors are among the most prevalent types of medical malpractice. Wrong dosages, mistaken prescriptions, overlooked drug interactions or missed contraindications – all can lead to serious harm. And these mistakes frequently happen in emergency rooms and hospitals, where staff members are stretched thin. A recent study has shed light...
Balancing the risks and benefits of VBAC
Childbirth is a momentous life event. But it can also be a life-threatening one. Complications at any point during labor or delivery can have a big impact on both mother and baby for a long time to come. Recognizing these risks, many hospitals and OB-GYNs are reluctant to allow VBAC...
Contagious health care professionals
Whether it is the start of the school year or dropping temperatures, this time of year sees an uptick in contagious illnesses like the flu. Depending on the workplace, employees may be encouraged to stay home or expected to show up no matter what. Few workplaces understand the drawbacks of...
Picking the safest hospital
Until recently, patients looking for medical care had little reason to choose one hospital over another. Distance was likely the number one factor in deciding where to go for care. The medical field is not well known for sharing information about its safety record or results. New and better information...
Doctors play a role in reducing opioid addiction
Opioid addiction is a rampant problem nationwide. More than two million people are addicted to these powerful painkillers, and more than 25,000 people die from overdoses each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s a major public health issue with complex ramifications. How these addictions...
Cerebral palsy: Making sense of a devastating diagnosis
A diagnosis of cerebral palsy is devastating for parents and children alike. It can mean a lifetime of intensive medical care and therapy. It can mean day-to-day struggles with basic mobility and cognitive development. It can even mean long-term residence in a professional care facility. Whether you’ve had lingering suspicions...
Labor and delivery complications: What can go wrong
Childbirth is one of life’s most exciting milestones. Of course, it’s also a major medical event. Even with normal pregnancies, complications can arise at any time during labor and delivery, requiring swift intervention to protect both mother and baby. Obstetrics has one of the highest rates of malpractice among all...
What contributes to medical mistakes?
Our system of medical care isn’t perfect. Yet that’s no excuse for the untold medical errors that harm innocent patients every year. In fact, according to researchers at John Hopkins, medical malpractice is surpassed only by heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death among Americans. It’s clear...
Three of the most common medical mistakes in hospitals
Hospital patients are often at their most vulnerable. Their fragile health may be tottering on the brink of life and death. Yet these same patients are also some of the most frequent victims of medical errors. The very institution designed to heal them instead ends up mistreating them – in...
How one patient paid the ultimate price for hospital negligence
Undergoing surgery is nerve-wracking for any patient, even when it’s a relatively minor procedure. So many things can go wrong. Ultimately, we have to trust that the surgeon and hospital staff will take extremely good care of us – and most of the time, they do. But for an unlucky...
Looking at the medical board complaint process, P.2
In our last post, we looked briefly at the complaint process overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of State for medical board discipline of physicians. We briefly mentioned the various aspects of the complaint itself, which include basic information about the parties involved, the facts, witnesses, and any available related documents....
Looking at the medical board complaint process, P.1
In recent posts, we’ve mentioned the physician discipline process as something that can be taken advantage of by patients who have been harmed by a negligent provider but who are unable to pursue medical malpractice litigation. As we noted, an attorney is not needed to file a complaint, but it...
Study looks at variations in disciplinary action taken by state medical boards
According to a recent study from the University of Michigan, there is significant variation in how state medical boards regulate physicians. Differences in things like reporting procedures, disciplinary methods and standards for determining appropriate discipline all make a difference–sometimes significant–in how physicians accused of misconduct are handled. The study looked,...
When medical malpractice isn’t an option: pursuing physician discipline
Medical malpractice litigation is an indispensable avenue of recovery for those who are harmed by a negligent physician. One thing that needs to be kept in mind, though, is that not every instance where a patient is harmed in the course of medical care will translate into a viable medical...
Looking at the issue of telemedicine and medical malpractice, P.2
In our previous post, we began discussing both the importance and the risks associated with the increasing practice of telemedicine. While telemedicine holds the promise of increasing health care access for rural communities, there is also the risk of error associated with the practice of telemedicine itself. The fact that...
Looking at the issue of telemedicine and medical malpractice, P.1
Health care is obviously a critical resource for all Americans, especially those with serious health conditions which require ongoing care. Coming up with ways that all people might have access to health care has clearly been a big subject for discussion in recent years, and the debate continues even with...
Failure to effectively reduce, address medical errors can lead to litigation, P.2
In our last post, we spoke a bit about the challenges health care providers face nowadays in reducing the occurrence of medical errors, and some of the reasons improvement in this area has not been greater. In this context, we began looking at the “Michigan Model,” which has been instrumental...
Failure to effectively reduce, address medical errors can lead to litigation, P.1
A recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted a topic that should concern all of us: errors in health care. As the article pointed out, progress in reducing the number of medical errors has been painfully slow. Part of the reason for that is that there is a lack of...
Study highlights hospital efforts to reduce preventable patient fatalities, readmissions
In our last post, we began speaking about the result of a recently published report concerning hospital mortality and readmission rates in Pennsylvania. As we noted, improvements were seen in many areas between 2009 and 2014 in terms of mortality rates. The report also highlighted the fact that statistically significant...
Improvement in statewide mortality rates likely due to improved quality of care
Quality of health care is a critically important issue for patients. As consumers of medical services, it is tempting to assume that our lack of ability to effectively shop around for medical care means that health care services are more or less of equal quality wherever you go. That, however,...
Among the risks of childbirth, postpartum hemorrhage, P.2
In our last post, we began speaking about postpartum hemorrhage and the duty doctors have to address pregnant women’s risks in this area. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in addressing this issue and others like it, has found that working to improve communication between hospital staff can do...
Among the risks of childbirth, postpartum hemorrhage, P.1
Although childbirth is a natural process, it can be fraught with risks, particularly for women with special medical conditions and complications. Among the risks physicians and nurses have to be on the lookout for is excessive blood loss, or postpartum hemorrhage, which is actually a leading cause of death for...
Man paralyzed by anesthesia error awarded $9.2 million
Anesthesia lets surgical patients endure invasive procedures without feeling pain or discomfort during the procedure. But these powerful drugs must be administered and monitored closely, or they can seriously harm the patient. This example did not take place in Pennsylvania, but give an idea of the consequences of negligent anesthesiology...
Can I hold my naturopathic doctor accountable for malpractice?
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which includes a wide variety of disciplines such as naturopathy, homeopathy, and osteopathy, is fairly well-established at this point in the United States. CAM has even earned some recognition from mainstream or “allopathic” medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, almost 40 percent of adults report...
Could your next surgery be recorded?
There are a number of protocols that hospitals use to reduce the risk of surgical tools being left in patients after a procedure, or being misplaced before or after a surgery. Essentially, some tools are bar-coded so that they can be electronically accounted for. With the increased use of technology...
More sanitation robots being seen in hospitals
In hospitals, cleanliness is a top priority. Not only is it important in maintaining a hospital’s reputation, the eradication of germs is crucial in maintaining patient safety. According to several media reports, more than 1 million infections are reported each year inside of hospitals. Also infections are the primary cause...
Simple change to patient IDs reduced order errors in neonatal ICU
A new experiment with naming protocols at a neonatal intensive care unit found that medical errors by the NICU’s staff members plummeted thanks to the new naming process. The incredible study, which is so simple at its heart that it makes you wonder why it isn’t done more often, was...
Common defenses to your medical malpractice claim
When interviewing firms to take on your medical malpractice case, there is more to just the number of cases, the firm has won (or is taking on), it is the ability to anticipate a doctor’s (or a hospital’s) defenses and being able to defeat them in order to vindicate you....
How certain conditions can be misdiagnosed
When people think about medical malpractice, it is common for the gaffes that garner national headlines to come to mind. After all, it is hard to believe that a surgical team can leave tools inside the patient, or that a procedure could be performed on the wrong side of the...
Majority of surgical error claims based on faulty equipment
When we think of medical malpractice, we commonly think about the doctor who botches a diagnosis or the surgeon who leaves gauze or other pieces in the patient after the procedure is complete. However, we may not think about the equipment itself being the culprit in a malpractice action. After...
New test could distinguish bacterial from viral infections
Innovation is one of the things in medicine that everyone roots for. So when new discoveries are found to make things easier or to ensure patient safety, it is worth reporting. A new test has been developed that can help doctors differentiate between bacterial and viral infections. The test is...
Parents of teen deemed brain dead after surgery sue hospital
Having a child injured during what is supposed to be a low risk surgery is a parent’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately the nightmare became true for the parents of a California teen who was undergoing surgery for sleep apnea. The child experienced complications during surgery where her heart apparently stopped beating....
Can a surgical mask protect patients from disease
One of the most common things in a hospital setting has to be the surgical mask. They may be almost as universal as standard hospital scrubs. Masks are used to protect against the transmission of harmful germs that can contribute to disease. During the height of flu season and during...
Nurse who contracted Ebola to sue hospital that employed her
It may seem that the Ebola outbreak was so long ago that people may not remember how pervasive the fear over the disease was. It may also be lost on people how many physicians and nurses were infected with it (or suspected to be infected) and how much controversy the...
Different brain injuries should be treated differently
Injuries in car accidents can have life-altering consequences. The same can be said with falls and sports injuries. This is especially apparent when it comes to head injuries, and we have written several posts on how people with head injuries could have tough roads to recovery. However, just like not...
What defendants may argue in medical malpractice cases
Medical malpractice cases are not easy cases to bring. In addition to the complexity and costs that come with seeking malpractice damages, there may be some elements to the case that do not favor the client. These include the lack of money a law firm may have to bring the...
Girls more apt to suffer behavioral problems after concussions
Much has been said about the dangers of concussions in football, particularly in high school where in the past, many students suffered concussions but were not diagnosed. As research about concussions has progressed, it has come to light that girls playing sports are just as susceptible to suffering traumatic brain...
Taking ‘time out’ prevents wrong site surgeries
Have you heard of National Time Out Day? For about 10 years now, on June 11, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals have observed National Time Out Day to raise awareness around correct surgical procedure. And if you look at national statistics, then you’ll realize that more awareness in this...
Could medical errors one day be a thing of the past?
In many cases, diagnosing the correct illness of people in Pennsylvania can be tricky for doctors. This is, of course, a critical task; a delay in diagnosis, or an incorrect one altogether, could be a critical or fatal medical error. Depending on the illness, timing can be crucial. The sooner...
U.S. misdiagnosis rate will almost certainly shock you
Researchers have determined just how many Americans are misdiagnosed in outpatient settings on an annual basis and their conclusions will almost certainly shock you. In addition to individuals who are affected by diagnosis errors while hospitalized, approximately 12 million adults are misdiagnosed in outpatient settings every year. Put another way,...
Hard to say how many affected by drug-addicted medical workers
Pennsylvania residents expect that when they require medical treatment, they will be treated by doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals who have their well-being in mind. Unfortunately, and likely more often than anyone realizes, this is not always the case. Nobody expects health care workers to be perfect — either...
Elderly patient was wrongly diagnosed as dead
It is the stuff that nightmares or Edgar Allan Poe stories are made of: a person wakes up inside of a body bag. How could someone, who is not dead, end up in a body bag in this day and age? That is a grave question that the national public...
Doctor-to-be let down by other Pennsylvania doctors
She was not far from becoming a pediatrician when her dreams and potential to help others fell victim to the kind of negligence she was trained to avoid. A 26-year-old medical school graduate went to a Pennsylvania facility because she suffered from an ongoing headache. Her condition worsened, and the...
How much bacteria are on your Pennsylvania doctor’s lab coat?
For hospitals and patients, infections are a very real concern after a surgery has been completed. A post-operative infection can lead to very serious complications that could even prove to be fatal for the patient. This is why there are very strict rules for hygiene both in the operating room...
Hope continues for family of child declared ‘dead’ after surgery
In a recent post we shared how a young girl underwent surgery for her tonsils but suffered major complications following the hospital procedure. Those complications have left the child, 13, in a condition that medical professionals, lawyers, family and other critics are passionately debating. The basic matter of controversy is...
Family mourns loss after child’s surgery takes tragic turn
Many people might think that getting one’s tonsils removed sounds like a simple, routine surgery. That doesn’t mean that the procedure never goes wrong or endangers a person’s life. An out-of-state family has learned in the most tragic way possible that even a tonsils surgery can be deadly. CNN reports...
Peers in medicine face internal struggle over reporting errors
There is what in TV and movies at least some characters might call a “snitch.” Among groups of kids, there is the “tattle tale.” These are not ideal classifications that most would want to take on. But there are situations when telling the truth is of utmost importance. A medical...
Pennsylvania court holds the line on medical malpractice verdict
Nobody wants to go through the experience of being hospitalized for a serious medical condition. However, patients might feel comforted by the knowledge that medical staff is on hand to provide care as needed. The unfortunate reality is that medical institutions don’t always provide the level of care people come...
Your hospital might have some dangerous secrets, part 2
Our previous post this week began a list of some of the dangers that can threaten patients’ safety. We mentioned how the ratio of nurses to patients can make a difference in patient health. We also shared how not all medical workers are the experienced, qualified doctors that all would...
Your hospital might have some dangerous secrets, part 1
It is pretty normal for people to dread doctor or hospital visits. There is the common dread, but then there is a level of dread that should be avoidable — that is if all health care facilities and workers lived up to proper safety standards. In an ideal world, patients...
Malpractice can happen to anyone, even an infamous Yankee
One doesn’t have to be a baseball player to know that Alex Rodriguez of the MLB Yankees has been in some trouble with the league recently. While he has always been a player that people either love or hate, this past couple of months have given everyone a reason to...
Family kidney transplant goes wrong with hospital mix-up
Surgery is a big deal, whether you are a healthy person or someone who is sick. Both a healthy and a sick patient were the subjects of a kidney transplant effort in an out-of-state medical case. A brother, 21, felt honored to be able to try to help his sister...
Doctor in legal trouble has had history of malpractice complaints
Most doctors are professionals and deliver to patients only the best of care. Unfortunately, a small number of doctors are responsible for making medical mistakes over and over again and bring a black eye upon the profession. One particular doctor involved in a Medicare fraud suit has also been sued...
Most commonly missed illnesses are serious conditions
Researchers looked at reports of malpractice claims at an international level. The study confirmed what other studies have found in the past. The majority of medical malpractice incidents are not extreme surgical errors; rather, most doctor errors are diagnosis errors. The international study gets more specific by identifying the conditions...
Use of hospital alarms may have alarming impact on safety
A person can barely get through one hour of a day without hearing some sort of technological beep or alarm. Whether it is an alarm clock, the microwave, a car door, etc., we are living in a world of alarms. That reality is even more intense within the walls of...
Law paves way for doctor compassion but loss of malpractice proof
Generally, compassion is perceived as a positive quality for a person to have. If a patient is sick or injured, it can be reassuring for him to feel that his doctor actually cares about more than the condition but cares for the patient as well. With the forward movement of...
Patient’s good news is bad news for doctor who misdiagnosed him
Finding out that one’s has longer to live than he thought is good news, right? Right. But that revelation is tainted by the emotional stress that the person went through when he believed that he was going to die of a serious illness. A man who went through this dramatic...
Family challenges use of robot as medical malpractice
The dependence on technology reaches into just about every aspect of life. People tend to put a lot of faith in machines, as though they are infallible. But technology comes with glitches, and a family in an out-of-state case believes that the untimely loss of their loved one is partly...
Misdiagnosis can allow cancer to worsen and shorten lives
Patients and society in general are seemingly starting to question the quality of their medical treatment more these days. They might seek second or third opinions. Maybe they will do a thorough examination of their doctor’s background. The threat of medical mistakes and the toll that they can take on...
Hospital errors come in various forms, including misdiagnosis
The U.S. is a society driven by media. Gruesome often brings in viewers and readers. Medical malpractice stories involving surgery on the wrong body part or leaving behind a tool in a patient are undoubtedly horrifying. Maybe that is why the public tends to think of such cases when presented...
Hospitals paid more for patients who suffer surgical errors
Having to put trust in other individuals – particularly when it relates to your health – can be an unnerving and challenging proposition. Unfortunately, in some cases, especially when serious medical intervention is necessary, there may be no other choice. For people who must undergo a surgical operation, a recent...
Could closed medical malpractice cases prevent more malpractice?
Learning from our mistakes is sometimes easier said than done. A medical malpractice lawyer out of another state wants all health professionals to learn from other medical professionals’ mistakes. Is it doable? It seems like an obvious solution. If hospitals want to avoid cases of negligence on their floors, they...
Are shorter hospital shifts safer shifts? Part 2
The previous post began a discussion about how the change in shift durations has impacted patient safety. Though the goal behind requiring medical residents to work shorter shifts was to reduce incidents of hospital errors, research suggests that no such improvement has taken place. According to a study published in...
Are shorter hospital shifts safer shifts? Part 1
If you had more hours outside of work, what would you do with them? Schedule changes for medical interns have been made various times in the past, with the hope being that the residents would rest while outside of hospital walls. Shorter shifts would mean more rest and less fatigue...
Pennsylvania patient wins medical malpractice suit against doctor
It can be difficult to put trust in someone. But when one’s health and quality of life rely on a medical professional, there is little choice but to trust that he will perform his job according to safety regulations. A Pennsylvania patient unfortunately came to the realization that his trust...
Pennsylvania boy’s death: Result of bullies or hospital error, too?
Not just the public in Pennsylvania but the entire country is heartbroken by the news that a 12-year-old boy died after an alleged attack on him by so-called bullies from his school. More recent reports of the bullying incident present another possible reason why the young victim didn’t survive his...
Simple tips enhance hospital patient safety, prevent malpractice
Going into the hospital can be a frightening experience. Many Pennsylvania residents have heard horror stories about patients who developed additional illnesses or infections while hospitalized, or were the victims of medical malpractice. There are things patients and their families can do to avoid medical errors and missteps in hospitals,...
Mistakes in electronic health records endanger patients
With more and more hospitals and other medical providers switching over to the use of electronic health records, more mistakes and missing data are being reported. Some mistakes in these records can cause serious problems for patients and result in medical malpractice. In Pennsylvania alone, there were twice as many...
Medical malpractice study finds ‘never events’ happen frequently
If the idea of surgery makes you nervous, you certainly aren’t alone. Friends, relatives and doctors may try to allay your fears by telling you that surgical errors are very rare and that the chances of them happening to you are slim to none. Unfortunately, some of those errors are...
Distractions cause inexperienced doctors to make surgical errors
Inexperienced doctors performing surgery can all too easily become distracted by a variety of things, resulting in dangerous and even deadly errors. A new study found that such distractions included questions, noises and a variety of other commonplace occurrences. Medical malpractice in the form of significant surgical errors occurred among...
Medical malpractice suit filed against Pennsylvania pathologist
One of the great benefits of modern medicine is the ability to detect many types of cancer at an early stage. Although some cancer screenings can be uncomfortable, they often prevent patients from finding out too late that they have a life-threatening illness. But for the screenings to be effective,...
Medical mistakes kill 250,000 annually, injure millions
Most patients put themselves in the care of doctors and hospitals trusting that their health and well-being will be carefully monitored. In too many instances, this is not the case. Medical mistakes are far more common than many people believe. Such errors rising to the level of medical malpractice wind...
High court: Not all doctor-patient affairs medical malpractice
Most people would agree that a doctor who has a sexual relationship with a patient is engaging in some extremely unethical behavior. But does that behavior justify a medical malpractice suit? Not necessarily, according to a recent ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While psychiatrists and other mental health professionals...
Medical malpractice alleged after expectant mother dies
A Pennsylvania family claims medical staffers from Temple University Hospital are guilty of negligence that resulted in the death of a woman who was nine months pregnant. The medical malpractice allegations stem from an incident that began when the family found the mother-to-be barely breathing at the bottom of a...
Hospital technician may have exposed many patients to hepatitis
A newly hired radiology technician at a Pennsylvania hospital was accused in 2008 of stealing an addictive painkiller in a syringe from hospital premises, taking the syringe right out of an operating room. Subsequently, an investigation and drug test found him in possession of a number of other such syringes,...
More health services could mean more medical malpractice cases
As more medical facilities and health services become available in smaller Pennsylvania communities, more residents have access to care for which they once had to travel a considerable distance. Local medical care means that people can keep themselves healthier while staying close to home. But there is some speculation that...
Misused surgical device can be lethal for kidney donors
Relatives and other properly matched donors are able to make a sacrifice of one of their own kidneys to save the life of someone suffering from kidney disease. Most of the time the willingness to help the recipient of the kidney overrides any worries about the transplant surgery, or medical...
Photos in patient files could reduce medical malpractice
Most people don’t like going to the hospital, but if you or a family member needs treatment, you probably want the most personal care possible. You may even assume doctors and nurses will remember your name, your face and your symptoms. But hospitals are chaotic places and even the best...
Study: Lack of sleep could cause errors among surgical students
Imagine going to the hospital for an operation and learning just before the procedure that your surgeon is legally drunk. That would certainly be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit, not to mention the surgeon’s dismissal from his job. But a new study has found that many surgical students are...
Pennsylvania mom wins $78.5M malpractice suit for birth injury
We’re hearing more and more these days about the rising cost of health care in the United States. These costs include not only payments for insurance and medical treatment patients receive, but the expenses hospitals and clinics incur for purchasing and maintaining the highest-quality equipment. In return, patients and their...
Woman files malpractice suit after catching fire during birth
A medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed by a woman who caught on fire while she was on the operating table giving birth to her daughter via Cesarean section. The incident took place on March 1, 2010, shortly after her attending physician had made an incision. The anesthetic evidently caught...
Lawsuit claims reversal of sedation killed Pennsylvania man
A wrongful-death and medical malpractice lawsuit claims that Pennsylvania State Police troopers conspired with a doctor and a nurse to reverse a man’s sedation for the purpose of making him available to be arraigned in court. These actions, which the man’s father claims had no beneficial medical purpose, had tragic...
Pennsylvania doctor loses appeal of medical malpractice suit
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has denied the appeal of a doctor hit with one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts ever recorded in northeast Pennsylvania. The doctor and the medical center where he worked have been ordered to pay $20.5 million to a couple whose son suffered permanent medical problems...
Study reveals doctors not completely honest with patients
Do you ever wonder if your doctor is being completely honest with you? A recent survey of physicians suggests that many doctors do lie to their patients. Roughly 20 percent of doctors polled admitted they failed to disclose information to a patient for fear of being sued, and about 11...
Hospital errors, malpractice suits can be prevented with checklists
The problem of medical malpractice is, unfortunately, alive and well in U.S. hospitals. Since the Institute of Medicine estimated a decade ago that up to 100,000 people a year die in U.S. hospitals from preventable errors, the problem has only gotten worse. Hospitals are undoubtedly busy places, and small mistakes...
The sting of injection: Steroid shots lead to more malpractice suits
Have you ever gotten a steroid shot to treat serious muscle pain? If you suffered negative side effects, you’re not alone. An increase in steroid injections used to treat pain has resulted in a surge of severe complications, including paralysis and even death. These complications have led to medical malpractice...
Lack of communication leads to more malpractice suits
Have you ever gone to the doctor and then waited anxiously for the results of a lab test to return? Perhaps you waited for a call from your physician and, not hearing the phone ring, assumed that no news was good news. Such an assumption can be dangerous, according to...
Special medical malpractice courts may ease case backlog
In many states, the backlog of medical malpractice lawsuits awaiting resolution is staggering. Such cases are also often complex, requiring an understanding of difficult technical and scientific information. But is Pennsylvania looking for new ways to reduce medical malpractice claims throughout the state? Another state has taken a new approach...
Patient injured in both colonoscopy and follow up surgery
Doctors and other medical professionals are supposed to help patients get better. But what happens when a doctor’s mistake actually worsens the patient’s condition? Shouldn’t medical professionals be held responsible for negligent mistakes? Just recently, two physicians were found negligent in a medical malpractice lawsuit brought against them. Two procedures,...
Couple sues Pennsylvania hospital for infected kidney transplant
When a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional makes a mistake, a patient can be affected in many different ways. The mistake can lead to worsened or even life-threatening health conditions, impacting an individual on physical, emotional, and financial levels. Non-medical professionals typically rely on the medical expertise of their...
Pennsylvania organization looks at hospital alarm monitor errors
Hospitals attempt to avoid medical malpractice suits every day. But the reality is that in some instances patients suffer injury or worsened medical conditions because of hospital staff negligence. Recent data offered by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority takes a closer look at one particular type of hospital error, associated...
Pennsylvania woman awarded settlement in medical malpractice suit
When a doctor or nurse is negligent during surgery, the patient can experience a number of different medical complications as a result. When that happens, the patient may at first have difficulty determining whether the pain is because of an error or just a byproduct of the original medical condition....
Medical malpractice case ends with multi-million dollar award
For one man, driving from his home in a neighboring state into Pennsylvania every weekend has become a part of his routine. He brings his wife to a rehabilitation center where she receives treatment and therapy after suffering permanent brain damage at the hands of negligent hospital staff. Five years...
Are hospital interns more likely to commit medical malpractice?
When people get injured or contract an illness, their first thought is to go seek medical help. This can be done in a number of ways: checking into a hospital, visiting a clinic, or even calling a hospital help line to speak with a nurse. Patients rely on the knowledge...
Man wins medical malpractice suit against hospital
When medical professionals make a mistake or are negligent in care, the consequences can impact a patient for the rest of his or her life. In some instances, patients can no longer take care of themselves and instead must rely on a loved one or medical professional for their everyday...
Pennsylvania doctors seeing fewer medical malpractice claims
Patients put their lives in the hands of physicians, expecting that a certain level of care will be provided as they receive treatment and recover from their injury or illness. But when a health care professional or hospital is negligent, the potential impact on a patient’s life can be permanent....
Jury deliberates whether hospital was negligent in sex abuse case
Today jurors in a hospital negligence case are continuing their deliberations in the first of over 90 lawsuits filed against the hospital. The lawsuit was filed by an anonymous man who alleges sexual abuse by his physician. He believes that the hospital should have discovered the doctor’s activities; over 500...
Is it medical malpractice to operate on the wrong eye?
When a doctor, nurse or other medical staff member makes a mistake on a patient, the resulting injuries can be serious. Some surgical errors can be fixed by additional medical procedures. But in some cases the extent of the damage from the mistake are not immediately clear. Recently, the story...
Philadelphia jury awards settlement in medical malpractice suit
When a patient goes to see a doctor, the patient relies on the doctor. There is a certain standard of care that patients expect from medical professionals. But when a doctor or nurse is negligent in providing care, the patient could suffer serious harm as a result of a mistake....
Two Pennsylvania cardiologists face medical malpractice lawsuit
Imagine going to the hospital for an already stressful and potentially life-threatening medical issue. Now imagine that the doctor who handles your case tells you that you needed a certain procedure, without informing you of the potential risks and dangers of the procedure. Most patients trust that their doctors are...
Study shows tests ordered to prevent medical malpractice lawsuits
For the first time, a Pennsylvania research study looked at whether tests recommended to patients are actually needed. Specifically, the study was administered to determine whether costly tests such as CT scans and MRIs are beneficial to the patient. The results of the study showed 20 percent of the tests...
To avoid medical malpractice lawsuits, some hospitals ban cameras
The debate: should recording devices be allowed in hospital delivery rooms? Some say yes, they should be allowed because the birth of a child is an incredible moment for proud parents. Some disagree saying that video cameras can be intrusive and in the way as delivery room staff tries to...
Study looks at causes and rates of drug prescription mistakes
Recently the results of a national study on prescription error rates were released. The researchers focused on over 700,000 painkiller prescriptions that were all in one database. The database keeps track of prescription errors that pharmacists catch and prevent. Though the purpose of the study was not mentioned in the...
Pennsylvania Doctor and Staff Fail to Follow Federal Guidelines
In some situations, patients are not provided the quality of care that is required and expected from hospitals or clinics. In cases where a doctor or nurse is negligent, the consequences can be serious. If a patient believes that an injury was caused by the negligence of his or her...
Concerns Raised Over the Validity of Spine Fusion Surgery
In Pennsylvania, if a doctor or other medical care professional is negligent in the care that is given, they may be liable for medical malpractice. In some situations, a misdiagnosis or mistake in the operating room can be costly for the patient, both physically and financially. But what is considered...
Medical Mistakes Continue, Patient Safety Remains a Concern
When someone goes to the hospital, it is usually because they are suffering from a medical condition that requires attention and care. But sometimes a patient in the hospital suffers harm at the hands of their doctor or nursing staff. Medical malpractice is becoming an increasing concern across the nation,...