There are strict standards that govern the medical sector. Different health care professionals have various licensing and continuing education requirements that they must meet. They also have to adhere to best practices within their area of specialization.
In a perfect world, every medical professional should give each patient careful consideration and should consistently adhere to best practices regardless of the circumstances. Unfortunately, medical malpractice has become a leading cause of injury and even death in the United States. Medical malpractice involves any significant deviation from current standards that causes a negative outcome for a patient.
What are some of the most common forms of medical malpractice?
Diagnostic failures
People need health care professionals to identify the underlying cause of their symptoms. That way, they can receive appropriate treatment. There are millions of diagnostic errors in the United States every year. Researchers estimate that more than seven million diagnostic errors occur annually just in emergency rooms. Those diagnostic errors may lead to people receiving inappropriate medical interventions or not receiving any treatment at all.
Medication errors
Many modern treatment plans utilize prescription medications. Drugs can help people control their blood sugar or sleep more deeply. Physicians need to check for contraindications before prescribing medications. They need to ensure that the dosage they recommend is appropriate. They should warn patients about side effects and monitor how they respond to a prescription drug regimen. Medication errors may range from over-prescribing opioids to failing to help patients end treatment safely and effectively.
Errors during treatment
Medications aren’t the only course of treatment that doctors might prescribe. They might refer a patient out for surgical intervention in some cases. Errors during surgery could range from performing the wrong procedure to leaving items behind in a patient. Mistakes can easily occur during other types of treatments as well, including hands-on therapies or birth interventions during labor and delivery.
When health care professionals make mistakes while administering a treatment, their oversights can have major implications for the patients in their care. If another health care professional could have avoided the mistake that undermined a patient’s medical recovery, they may have experienced malpractice.
Pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit can compensate people for the harm that they experience in a medical setting. Lawsuits can also change the way that corporate hospitals operate and how doctors treat their patients. Recognizing medical malpractice empowers people to respond appropriately to the failure of a medical professional.