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Make no mistake about it, medical errors are a major problem

When you visit a doctor’s office or other medical facility in Ohio, you can reasonably expect that all licensed professionals who tend to your care will do so in a manner consistent with the highest accepted standards in the medical industry. Every physician is unique in that each has his or her own style and bedside manner, so to speak. Overall, however, you should be able to logically assume that every physician will adhere to strict protocol and regulations that govern medical care.

If you undergo surgery or seek a medical diagnosis based on certain symptoms, then wind up in worse condition than you started due to substandard care, it’s understandable you’d want those responsible held accountable for their mistakes. Medical errors are unfortunately not that uncommon, and there seem to be certain base causes for the types of mistakes reported most often. Knowing that you have rights as a patient and that support is available if something goes wrong may give you confidence to address any problem that arises.

The road that often leads to medical injury

Do you know medical mistakes rank third for leading causes of death in the nation? You no doubt want to be comfortable with any nurse, physician or practitioner providing your care; however, human error always remains a risk. The problem is that many medical mistakes happen because of negligence rather than no-fault accidents. The following list provides facts about the main causes of errors in the medical industry:

  • Johns Hopkins University’s research team says miscommunication is one of the most frequent causes of medical mistakes in the United States. Whether medical team members experience communication breakdowns, or there’s a lack of clear communication between physician and patient, the bottom line is that poor communication can have devastating repercussions.
  • Inefficiency is another major problem that often results in medical error. If someone mislabels a lab specimen, for instance, or lacks adequate knowledge or training to perform a certain medical task, the patient may suffer.
  • Failure to inform a patient, misdiagnosis and incorrect patient identification are examples of patient-related mistakes that can have long-lasting negative consequences; in fact, such mistakes may prove fatal.
  • Faulty equipment, failed devices or other technical errors can cause patient injuries.

Some medical malpractice situations involve procedure flaws or inappropriate policy implementation. Poor record keeping or lack of proper documentation of a particular person’s medical condition and care is often a recipe for disaster. Although you may understand that complete healing is not always possible, you have the right to expect that if your medical outcome is less than hoped for, the reason is not due to negligence.

Seeking justice

Thousands of Ohio medical patients and others throughout the nation have needlessly suffered injuries and illnesses in situations that were easily preventable. It’s understandable that many have sought recovery for their losses in court, as it cannot be expected that injured patients should have to pay medical expenses and other costs associated with negligent or substandard care.

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