Improved hospital communication with patients is crucial following medical malpractice, or mistakes during treatment, to aid in their endurance and resolution of the issue, according to new findings. The medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine published a report last month by Australian researchers indicating the patients generally have positive experiences following a medical injury, but there was much room for improvement. Often doctors and staff display a lack of empathy in regards to the issue and fail to communicate the path of resolution of the underlying cause to prevent reoccurrence with future patients. Researchers conducted interviews with 40 patients, family members, and staff members who had been [...]

How serious of an issue is medical malpractice in the United States? By almost any empirical measure, the answer to that question is sobering, if not flatly troubling: Mistakes made by medical professionals that contribute directly to patient injuries are common and persistent in medical facilities across the country. […]

We alluded to the seemingly intractable problem of misdiagnosis in medical facilities across the United States in our immediately preceding blog post. In today’s entry, we spotlight some of the catalysts that notably contribute to diagnostic error. Here’s an initial point to note on that subject: There are lots — truly, lots — of reasons why a wrong medical diagnosis results following a patient exam. A recent article notes some of the more prominent culprits that underlie wrong diagnostic calls. […]

It’s certainly reasonable to assume that the bottle of pills you’re now carrying out of a Ventura County pharmacy that were prescribed by your doctor contain the correct medication for dealing with your diagnosed medical condition, right? If you want an updated answer to that question, one is likely forthcoming relatively soon, and we will be sure to pass along the details. The influential U.S. Institute of Medicine is slated to weigh in next month with a revised report regarding the degree to which medical misdiagnosis is — and persistently continues to be — a problem in American medicine. […]

Among the biggest fears that many patients across California and the rest of the country have regarding hospital admittance is that they might become the victim of medical malpractice. Although some people might view such a concern as being unfounded and even alarmist, the underlying facts that justify that fear speak loudly and clearly in support of it. […]

You pay a premium — no doubt about that — for the hospital in-patient “experience,” so you certainly want things done in a timely and conscientious manner. In a medical facility, doing things right centrally encompasses hospital administrators and staff members ensuring a safe and hygienic environment. Although many people might reasonably believe that this is not much of a problem and a readily achieved goal in all instances (after all, hospitals are places where people go to rid themselves of ailments and to get better), hospital environments are actually quite problematic when it comes to germs and other nasty things. […]

People in Southern California step away from their jobs all the time. They may become a stay-at-home parent or caregiver to an ill loved one, or they may have to deal with a serious illness of their own. After several years, the person may decide that it is time to return to work. But in many specialized fields, things change quickly. Practices and techniques that were the norm five or 10 years ago may now be totally out of date. If the field we are talking about is medicine, a patient’s health and safety could be in the hands of a rusty and behind-the-times physician. [...]

We have previously discussed how important it is to be an informed patient. Certainly, it is important to seek out qualified medical professionals and, at least to some extent, trust in their expertise. However, medical professionals are human and are ultimately prone to make mistakes and missteps. As a result, it is important to be an informed patient so that you place yourself in the best possible position to advocate on behalf of your own health and wellbeing. One of the tools that you may find invaluable in your quest to remain an informed patient is your own medical records. By understanding your medical history and [...]

A recently published study in the medical journal Academic Emergency Medicine made some truly eye-opening findings concerning the practice of defensive medicine, meaning when physicians order an excess of diagnostic exams out of concerns over a possible misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose. The study, performed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that 97 percent of the 435 emergency room physicians who took part in a survey indicated that they had ordered advanced diagnostic scans — CT scans, MRIs, etc. — that were medically unnecessary, and that over 85 percent believed this practice was widespread. […]

We recently began a discussion about the top technology-related hazards affecting patient safety today. We noted that utilizing potentially hazardous technology does not usually constitute an act of medical malpractice. However, if healthcare providers fail to use technology properly or use hazardous technology in negligent ways, these acts may rise to the level of malpractice in certain cases. Patient safety should be the primary consideration for both healthcare providers and hospital administrators. Unfortunately, factors like time, money, inadequate education and others contribute to a medical culture unfocused on safety. As a result, patients remain at risk of harm resulting from numerous technological innovations coupled with negligent [...]