The American health care system is extraordinarily complex, therefore making it possible for medical malpractice and errors to occur throughout the entire patient process. However, nurses and other safety advocates claim that at least a quarter of these errors can be prevented with better coordination of the client care process. 

Digital Record Access

In a study recently conducted by the Gary and Mary West Health Institute, nurses claim that streamlining technology and creating automated, coordinated data records will improve patient safety and prevent medical errors that result from misinformation. In fact, almost half of the nurses surveyed for the study “estimated that 25 percent of medical errors and adverse events might be prevented if devices could share information seamlessly.” Being able to access a patient’s records digitally, as well as monitor and update a patient’s treatment and progress, can greatly reduce instances of medical malpractice. 

What Can You do to Ensure a Safe Hospital Stay?

When it comes to scheduling surgeries, reports suggest that the best time to schedule is in the morning and in the middle of the week. This better guarantees that a hospital’s staff will be fully rested and not overly taxed.

Patients are also encouraged to bring their list of current medications to doctors’ offices and hospitals. When checking in for surgery or care, a copy of one’s medication list should be added to a patient’s personal chart. Documentation will help to minimize medication and dosing errors.

Additionally, patients should immediately check their hospital wristbands for errors. Moreover, it is important for patients to request that all health care providers check their wristbands before moving forward with any procedure.

Finally, patients should have an onsite hospital advocate accompany them to help assess situations, ask important questions, and intervene if there are problems.

Consult with a Westport Medical Malpractice Attorney

Medical malpractice takes place at an alarming rate, but many medical errors can be prevented. If you or a loved one has suffered injury due to physician or hospital negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case today. Richard H. Raphael, Attorney at Law, is proud to protect the rights of patients by holding the health care industry accountable for providing the safest and best standards of care possible. Call 203-226-6168 today to schedule your appointment.

When a birth injury occurs due to medical malpractice or medical error, it mars the joyous occasion of a new life entering the world. Health care providers who work in obstetrics are treating two patients, mother and child. As such, opportunities for human error are doubled, along with the number of potential victims. Fortunately, there are medical errors which can be prevented with better health care provider communication and adherence to safety protocols.

Every hospital maintains different protocols regarding its birthing and obstetric protocols. Hospitals where coordinated patient care and safety protocols are high priorities generally have a much lower rate of live birth complications and fewer birth injuries. However, in hospitals where safety protocols are impeded or not prioritized, the rate of injuries related to medical error can be significantly higher.

To help decrease incidences of medical error, doctors and health care workers must be given the support by their organizations that enables them to make preventing patient injury their first priority.

Several hospitals have made procedural changes to improve the quality of their obstetric care and prevent medical error as well as birth injuries. Many of those organizations are now seeing a drastic shift in their statistics due to their implementation of improved safety protocols.

• The NY Presbyterian Hospital now boasts some of the nation’s lowest numbers of brain injuries resulting from oxygen deprivation in newborns.
• The Hospital Corporation of America was able to achieve an 87 percent reduction in the fatality rate of pulmonary embolism in delivering mothers.
• Ascension Health achieved an 85 percent reduction in brain trauma in newborns at its birthing facilities that adopted a revised program of best practices during live birth delivery.  

Hospital data shows that the frequency of medical errors and devastating results, such as newborn brain injuries, can be greatly reduced when safety protocols are implemented at the organizational level. Appropriate staffing levels, coordinated patient care, and a limit to procedures such as C-section births are some of the ways that health care organizations have achieved lower medical malpractice rates in the field of obstetrics.  

If your family member suffered harm because of a childbirth medical error, please contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney today. Richard H. Raphael, Attorney at Law, works hard to protect the rights of patients of all ages and holds the health care industry accountable for providing the safest level of care possible. Call (203) 226-6168 today to schedule your free initial consultation. 

There has been much media attention over the number of athletes who have suffered permanent damage caused by traumatic brain injuries (TBI), such as multiple concussions, particularly for athletes who participate in football and hockey. The long-term and permanent damage that is reportedly caused by TBIs includes a decline in cognitive abilities, early onset Alzheimer’s, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain tissue.

Originally, the media attention began because of the number of professional athletes who suffered devastating effects from TBIs. However, over the past several years, a focus has been placed on the number of incidents of TBIs suffered by younger victims, especially teenagers, who are involved school or recreational sports.

According to national statistics, there are 1.7 million documented victims who suffer from some type of traumatic brain injury every year in this country. Various studies state the estimate is too low and that the actual number of victims every year is just under 4 million. The number of adolescents and children who receive TBI’s in sports-related accidents is approximately 173,285. Contrary to what many people may think, the majority of those injuries may not occur in actual games against opponents, but instead during practice with a victim’s own teammates.

A new study was conducted by Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention Inc., utilizing data supplied by the National Athletic Treatment, Injury and Outcomes Network, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program, and the Youth Football Surveillance System. The researchers discovered that of the 20,000 who were injured playing football during the 2012-2013 season, more than half—57 percent—received those injuries during a practice session.

There were 1,198 injured players who were diagnosed with concussions during the season, accounting for almost 10 percent of the total injuries received. Twenty-two percent were playing college football, 66 percent were involved in high school football, and 12 percent were playing youth football.

Researchers point out that this study should serve as a reminder to coaches and others involved in overseeing sports programs of the importance of implementing safety guidelines, even for practices. If your child has been injured in a sports-related accident, contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the negligent party.