Common Physician and Hospital Errors That Lead to Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Physician errors cause about 97,000 deaths each year and are a factor in about 60 percent of medical malpractice claims that involved patients injured because of missed or delayed diagnoses. The following are the most common types of physician and hospital errors:
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Physician practices errors: The most common types of errors reported among physician practices involve ordering the right prescription, matching proper lab tests with the right patient, inadequate or improper decisions made from interpreting lab results, improper dispensing of medications, and filing errors.
- Hospitals errors: By far, the most common error reported in hospitals involves some type of medication error, with wrong prescription orders making up about two-thirds of all reported medication errors. In addition, errors in the hospital lab and the hospital pharmacy can lead to medical mistakes.
Why Do Medical Errors Occur?
Following are some typical reasons why medical errors take place:
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Staff shortage: Nursing shortages affect hospitals around the nation. As a result, errors tend to happen more often than they should.
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Lack of adequate training, skill, or experience: There was a time when registered nurses assisted doctors with their patients. Today, doctors use medical assistants, who require less formal training. In addition, errors can even occur among doctors and registered nurses who may lack knowledge, skill, or experience in a particular medical area.
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Failure to follow rules and procedures: All healthcare facilities have procedures and policies with regard to which treatment has to be provided to patients. Errors occur when hospital staff members fail to follow proper protocol.
- Communication breakdown: When information and orders are not communicated properly, patients can suffer as a result.
Contact a Georgia Malpractice Lawyer from Henry Spiegel Milling LLP Today
When a medical professional makes a mistake or provides substandard care, the results can be deadly. The medical malpractice lawyers at Henry Spiegel Milling LLP fight on your behalf. We take cases involving medical malpractice very seriously. Each of our medical malpractice lawyers is well versed in the relevant law and has the experience necessary to analyze your case and determine the best strategy for your lawsuit, including consultation with medical experts.
