More than a Statistic: Medical Malpractice
When it comes to medical malpractice, doctors are just as vulnerable as patients. A recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation concluded that forty-two percent of the adults surveyed and one-third of the doctors reported that they had personally experienced a medical mistake or that a family member had received negligent care.
The alarming results of this study provide strong documentation that medical errors represent a problem that affects a significant number of people in the United States each year.
A recent study by Health Grades, Inc., an independent healthcare quality company, reported in July 2004 that 195,000 hospitalized Americans die every year as a result of preventable medical errors. That is the equivalent of 534 people dying as the result of medical negligence every day-excluding deaths due to medical errors in doctors' offices, clinics, etc. This also excludes injuries to patients such as amputation of the wrong limb, brain injury, quadriplegia and all other injuries resulting in disability, disfigurement, etc. but not death.
Preventable errors leading to the 195,000 deaths in hospitals each year is the equivalent of a 747 jumbo jet and a 737 jet crashing due to negligence every day and kills more people every year than auto accidents, breast cancer and AIDS-even diabetes and pneumonia.
Medication errors are among the most preventable mistakes. According to an Institute of Medicine report, more than one million serious drug errors occur annually in hospitals alone. Having many people involved in dispensing the medication, confusion about drug names, accidental overdose of concentrated drugs and transcription errors are a few of the reasons prescription mistakes occur.
While the main attention on medical malpractice in today's news focuses on rising insurance rates for doctors, few have addressed what patients can do to protect themselves from becoming a statistic. As consumers of health care, patients need to be aware that they can play a key role prior to obtaining medical care, during treatment or a procedure as well as post-discharge to protect themselves from medical errors.
Below are tips for becoming a good consumer of health care:
Prior to medical care/treatment:
- Visit or call your local Health Claims Arbitration Office to review the defendant index. Consumers can determine if a physician has had medical malpractice cases filed against them.
- Consumers can check the Board of Physicians for disciplinary records at www.docboard.org.
- Refer to the America's Top Doctors: The Best in American Medicine (Castle Connolly, 2nd Edition) at your local library. The American Board of Medical Specialists (1-866-ASK-ABMS) offers a searchable database of board-certified specialists at www.abms.org.
- Always seek a second opinion from another doctor.
Obtaining medical care:
- When visiting a doctor for the first time, come prepared! Bring past medical records and/or test results if they are available. Bring a written list of past and present doctors, medications, diagnoses, and surgeries/procedures.
- Inquire if the physician is board certified in his/her area of practice.
- Verify who will be performing your surgery, especially in the case of a teaching hospital. If a resident is providing your medical care, ask to speak with an attending physician.
- Provide accurate responses during a physical examination-do not be ashamed of symptoms of illnesses.
Discharge Instructions:
- Schedule a follow-up appointment before leaving the hospital or outpatient facility.
- Always request information pertaining to prescription medications including side effects and interactions with other medications you may be taking.
- Immediately report any problems or concerns to your medical provider.
About the Author:
Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A.
Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Maryland
1211 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone: (410) 234-1000
TOLL FREE: (888) 234-0001
Fax: (410) 234-1010
Email: jschochor@sfspa.com
URL: www.sfspa.com
