A recent study published by the American Heart Association shows that mortality rates are higher for women in Ohio who have a heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI). The reason for this is that women are less likely than men to present with classic findings of chest pain. We have long known that physician bias [...]
As part of receiving Medicare payments from the federal government, hospitals are required to maintain records of all medical errors in order to improve care offered to patients. A new study by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Daniel Levinson, reports that few preventable injuries or infections are actually [...]
When it comes to medical errors, doctors are not likely to tell their patients the truth. Typically, a physician will keep his/her patient in the dark by using euphemistic medical-speak to explain an error, such as referring to an avoidable surgical injury as an "unanticipated complication of the procedure." But a recent study in the Journal of Health Affairs [...]
We might expect that, if a loved one dies unexpectedly in a hospital, an autopsy would automatically be performed. Unfortunately, this is not so. The policies on autopsies, including when and how they are performed, have evolved over the years so that they seem out of reach for many people who would benefit from them. [...]
Medical errors and hospital-acquired infections kill or injure over 1 million patients each year. Don't be a victim. If you watch one video this holiday season, please make it this one. If you care about patient safety and awareness, watch this video. Please share this video with anyone that questions the importance of improving patient [...]
Ventilators keep some of the most vulnerable patients breathing. This crucial equipment sounds an alarm at the first sign of a problem, and the caretaker should immediately respond to the alarm. Unfortunately, improper nursing staff training or caretaker negligence can render the alarm useless. An analysis by the Boston Globe shows that, between 2005 and [...]
Medicare's inspector general released a report this week that supports what Cleveland medical malpractice lawyers have said for years: there needs to be better tracking of serious hospital errors. According to the report, "hundreds of serious errors go unrecorded." While hospital inspectors may notice problems, they do not pass this information on to the agencies [...]
Medical malpractice claims due to negligence in treating a possible heart attack are the subject of significant litigation. Degree of chest pain is not always a good indicator of whether a patient seen in the emergency department of a hospital has experienced a myocardial infarction - a heart attack, or how much damage to the [...]
What is medical malpractice? This term is frequently misunderstood and misapplied. I have had juries tell me that malpractice = intent. The doctor must have intended to cause harm to be found "guilty of malpractice." NOT TRUE! Medical malpractice = medical negligence. When a healthcare provider fails to meet accepted standards and makes a medical [...]
Medical Errors due to communication deficits occurring during shift change, on the weekends or when another doctor is covering for the attending physician are often the subject of litigation. Medical errors are more likely to occur during a shift change or when one doctor signs off to another doctor. Weekends when staff is different or [...]