Sadly, medical errors happen all the time in the United States. Many people do not realize this, but medical malpractice such as hospital errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States, behind only cancer and heart disease. When we go to the doctor or the hospital, we assume we will be given a high standard of care and leave the facility in a better state than when we arrived. However, this is not always the case. In recent years, we have seen an increased number of medical errors occur, causing trepidation amongst millions of Americans.
There are numerous things that can go wrong in a hospital setting, from administering the wrong medication to performing surgery on the wrong patient and even disagreements on treatment among doctors. When your medial staff does not agree on the best course of action for treating your condition, what happens? In many cases, nothing good comes out of it. This is why it is imperative you are your own advocate, and you take the time to understand your rights. We understand how difficult it can be to question the medical staff treating you, but if something doesn’t feel quite right, it is in your best interest to take control. At Wormington & Bollinger, we have seen firsthand just how devastating these medical errors can be. We trust these doctors and nurses, only to have them take advantage of this trust and cause more serious health problems – or worse.
Common Medical Errors
Medical malpractice is rampant in the United States, including right here in Texas. While it is true that many of these errors are honest mistakes, there have been countless cases of doctors and other medical staff taking advantage of patients. Before we look at how you can protect yourself and prevent medical errors from taking place, let’s look at the most common types of medical malpractice:
- Medication errors – It is unfortunately easy for patients to either end up with the wrong medication or dosage. When this happens, it could lead to serious side effects, injuries, and even death.
- Wrong patient – Perhaps surprisingly, another common cause of medical malpractice is mistaken identity. This can happen during the evaluation stage, or even in surgery. It is imperative you ask questions and double check anything that seems “off.’
- Poor hygiene – Believe it or not, but one of the biggest threats to patients in hospitals are your doctor’s hands. It is no secret that hospitals are full of germs, and if the doctor or nursing staff has poor hygiene and dirty hands, it could give you a deadly infection.
Other common causes of medical negligence or malpractice includes unnecessarily prescribing medications, losing objects in surgical patients, failure to communicate with other healthcare workers, misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis, and poor clinical judgment.
How to Prevent Medical Errors
To avoid serious events while at the hospital, you should always put your health and safety first. It may feel uncomfortable to question a doctor but doing so may save your life. Here are a few tips for preventing medical errors:
- Always ask ‘why’ when a doctor orders a test or bloodwork
- Ask about the risks and potential side effects of certain medications or procedures
- Ask questions about the medicine you are given at the hospital, whether by mouth or IV. Get the name and make sure you understand why they are giving you that specific medicine.
- Ask your doctor why a specific treatment was recommended.
- Research your doctor and make sure they are board certified and completed any of the necessary specialty training.
If you have suffered because of a mistake made at the hospital or negligence on the part of your medical team, please contact Wormington & Bollinger today.