Articles Posted in Medical malpractice

Medical malpractice | April 9, 2014

Chicago residents who have gotten injections may have experienced some redness and swelling for a short time afterward. However, one man received a steroid injection and ended up with a lump swelled up to the size of a half a red racquetball. The man developed meningitis and so much pain that he eventually took his own life. His parents sued the doctor for medical malpractice and were recently awarded $2.88 million.

Up for debate is the fact that the Missouri man had a history of psychiatric issues, which the doctor believes led to the man’s suicide. But despite bipolar disorder and psychiatric care for depression, the 40-year-old man was active and liked to have fun.

Medical malpractice | June 28, 2013

Along with a rise in claims of defensive medicine and unnecessary medical testing has come a concern that certain medical tests could be causing a dangerous increase in radiation exposure among some patients. A new movement has begun in some hospitals to track the cumulative radiation exposure a patient receives as part of his or her electronic medical record. While most are doing nothing more than tracking exposure, it may be a step toward curbing over-testing in that it will show doctors when a patient has received multiple high radiation dose procedures over time. It may encourage doctors to be more judicious in ordering these potentially damaging tests.

Even the decision to track this information is drawing controversy. Some doctors are concerned that there is insufficient evidence to balance the potential risks of greater radiation exposure against the risks of not obtaining the test results they desire. The movement to track exposure is based on recent studies connecting medical imaging tests with increased cancer rates. One such study indicated that the roughly four million pediatric CT scans performed on the head, abdomen, chest or spine in a given year will lead to a projected 4,870 future cancers.

Medical malpractice | April 19, 2013

Critical access hospitals are facilities designed to serve the needs of rural communities by providing 24-hour emergency services and both inpatient and outpatient services in areas where it might not be cost effective to do so. These small facilities receive special treatment in the Medicare program and are exempt certain reporting requirements. While death rates in larger hospitals dropped from 2002 to 2010, the death rates at these small rural hospitals increased. The increase calls into question whether the special treatment for these small hospitals is having a detrimental effect on the patients they serve by promoting medical mistakes.

The author of the study that revealed the deteriorating performance of critical access hospitals suggested that the facilities were “falling further and further behind.” The reason could be the differing standards used for these hospitals. First, Medicare has requirements concerning efficiency in treating patients. Those requirements are waived for critical access hospitals. Second, most hospitals are required to report how Medicare patients fare from their treatment. The CAH facilities to not have to report the results of the Medicare services they provide. A recent push to force hospitals to make their performance more easily accessible to the public may have little impact on rural facilities. Patients in these areas may not have a realistic choice in obtaining medical care. Even a facility with a poor track record could get a pass from patients who would have to drive more than an hour to get to another hospital.

Medical malpractice | December 31, 2012

Hospitals have expended significant effort over the years to reduce the number of infants who die during childbirth. A recent study concerning a spike in severe complications striking mothers has brought attention to the need to do more to make childbirth safer for mothers, as well. From 1999 to 2009, medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, kidney failure and respiratory distress struck mothers 75 percent more frequently than in the preceding decade according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The spike may reflect a change in demographics for delivering mothers, but it is still important for hospitals to take steps to address this trend.

In 1970, the average age of a woman becoming a mother for the first time was 21. By 2008, that number had risen to slightly over 25. Older women are generally more likely to suffer health complications during and after childbirth than younger women. Another factor is the health of the woman before she becomes pregnant. More women who suffer from chronic health conditions such as diabetes and kidney disease are having children than in prior decades. The increased rate of obesity is also cited as a factor in the increase in maternal health complications at childbirth. Regardless of the cause, hospitals need to prepare to deal with severe complications that are growing increasingly common.

Medical malpractice | June 11, 2012

The risk of infection after a surgery is well known. A high rate of infection is often a sign that a facility is not maintaining appropriate medical safety practices. Nationwide, infections that resulted from a surgical procedure cause more than 8,000 deaths per year. The healthcare system incurs roughly $10 billion in expenses stemming from these infections. Despite the widespread, pervasive nature of the problem, hospitals have almost total discretion in how they report such infections. Many hospitals can simply choose to obscure the data, leaving patients with no ability to determine the risks involved with choosing to have a surgery at a given facility. A new study has reviewed the current state of affairs regarding national reporting of hospital infections.

Professionals at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently published a report in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, outlining the legislation that impacts hospital reporting. It shows the extremely limited requirements facing hospitals in informing the public of their rates of infection. Only 8 states require hospitals to make infection rate information publicly available. Even in those states, hospitals are only required to make the data available regarding 10 types of surgery, despite more than 250 possible types of surgery that patients could receive.

Medical malpractice | March 5, 2012

The United States leads the world in health care spending per person by a large margin. Despite the willingness to spend huge quantities of money, the likelihood of receiving substandard care or being the victim of medical malpractice is surprisingly high. We rank 50th in the world in total life expectancy and 47th in infant mortality. Many estimates place the number of preventable deaths suffered at the hands of medical providers at or above 100,000 per year. Most Americans have no idea how to go about finding a quality health care provider.

A new book by Dr. Otis Webb Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society discusses the situation and includes real world examples of people, with and without health insurance, receiving low quality health care. Some patients receive unnecessary and unproven treatments. Others receive treatments that have been proven ineffective or counter-productive. It highlights the inconsistent and sometimes dangerous nature of the care many receive in this country.