People put their trust in medical professionals when they need help with an illness, condition or injury. This is the natural response to try and address the problem. However, medical mistakes have long been a concern.
In recent years, the hope was that technological advancements would make the landscape better, but a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine study says otherwise. People who believe they or a loved one was injured, suffered a worsened condition or died due to some type of medical error need to think about all they have lost and know what they can do to hold a negligent medical professional or facility accountable.
Diagnostic errors led to a quarter of fatalities or intensive care
The Johns Hopkins study found that one in four people who needed to be moved to intensive care or lost their lives were impacted by a diagnostic mistake. This came to nearly 800,000 people. This report was released almost a decade after a separate study stated that that there were 12 million adults being misdiagnosed on an annual basis.
In addition, some demographics are at greater risk than others. There is a 20 to 30% greater chance for minorities and females to be misdiagnosed when compared to white men. According to researchers, this continues to be a major issue.
Often, the simple act of a doctor not listening closely to a patient’s complaints is a primary culprit in a medical misstep that can cause untold damage and even be deadly. Lack of insurance, poor quality medical facilities and the failure to order tests to discover what might be wrong or rule out specific ailments are also mentioned as catalysts for medical errors.
Recognize the possibility of medical errors
At every step of the process, a person can be harmed by a medical misdiagnosis or other mistake. That includes the initial examination, testing, misdiagnosis, dispensing medication, surgical errors, not being diagnosed in time and more. The entire case needs to be assessed from the start to see if medical malpractice occurred. If there is suspicion of a medical error, there are ways to be compensated for all that was lost. Having trustworthy help can make a major difference in reaching a successful outcome.