Medical malpractice lawsuits are very common in the state of New York. This amount of litigation creates great expense for all those involved including state taxpayers. Being able to lessen the amount of medical malpractice that occurs or is claimed to have occurred would be greatly beneficial for doctors, patients and taxpayers alike.
The different kinds of medical malpractice cases
There was nearly 16,000 medical malpractice cases in New York over a 10 year period. While these cases had many different causes, there are so many similar cases that they can broken down into categories. These include:
- Misdiagnosis of illness
- Failure to diagnose a serious illness
- Errors made during surgery
- Prescription errors
- Improper application of treatment
- Errors made during labor and delivery
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Incorrect application of anesthesia
- Failure to properly follow-up with a patient
Preventing future medical malpractice cases
While it may seem easy to blame the amount of medical malpractice cases on the litigious nature of US society, most cases are not frivolous. Instead, they are caused by legitimate issues that can harm patients. Medical professionals should take more steps to prevent dangerous situations from developing anytime a patient is given care. This should include:
- Continuing education for medical professionals
- Preserving and referencing thorough patient documentation
- Improving communication between patient and doctor
- Always obtaining consent for medical procedures and treatment
- Always working hard to better inform patients
- Upholding high-quality standards for all care administered
- Following up with patients
- Being honest with patients about what can be expected
Overall, honesty, hard work and striving to achieve a high standard of excellence in your medical practice can help to curb most of the risk that medical malpractice presents. Doctors, nurses and others in the medical field should always take their responsibility seriously. Becoming lackadaisical can not only attract lawsuits but ruin patients’ lives.