Experts on patient safety at Johns Hopkins University published a study in May 2016 indicating that more than 250,000 people die each year from injuries caused by medical mistakes—making it the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Medical treatment errors by any member of a medical staff, such as doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and paramedics can lead to injury or death and medical malpractice lawsuits.
Treatment Errors Are Preventable
Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals have a duty to their patients to provide relevant care and keep them safe from harm. However, sometimes medical staff make errors in assigning treatment because they don’t:
- Have the necessary knowledge or training. If a patient’s condition falls outside her doctor’s expertise, the doctor should consult with another medical professional who can provide adequate and relevant care.
- Refer a patient to an appropriate specialist. When a patient’s condition becomes too complicated, a good physician, nurse, or other medical staff member should refer the patient to a well-respected specialist who can provide the correct, current, and specific treatment the patient needs.
- Misdiagnose a condition. Finding the correct diagnosis is an important component of creating a treatment plan. However, when medical professionals fail to consult with colleagues during the diagnosis process, treatment errors can result.
- Use updated treatment methods. Medical technology and best practice continue to improve. For this reason, it’s important for an effective medical staff to stay up to date on current treatment methods and literature. Using outdated treatments could lead to error and injury.
How Treatment Errors Lead to Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
It’s important to note that a significant difference exists between treatment error and poor treatment outcome. A doctor or nurse might have made a mistake in a treatment plan, but that’s not the same as a patient having a poor reaction or seeing no effective results from treatment. Common examples of treatment errors that lead to injury and medical malpractice lawsuits are:
- Errors in executing an operation, procedure, or test
- Administering an improper course of treatment
- Errors in properly monitoring during treatment
- Prescribing incorrect or ineffective medications
- Delaying treatment unnecessarily
- Administering the wrong treatment
Get Help With Your Treatment Error Case
If you suspect a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional made a significant error during your treatment process, you need legal help. Contact the trusted team at Tavss Fletcher to find helpful answers and better understand your options for recovery. You can reach us at 877.960.3441 today.
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