Sept. 12, 2012
With more Americans than ever before concerned with healthcare mistake, the medical industry is evolving with technology that will better protect patients from negligent mistakes.
According to a survey conducted by Wolters Kluwer Health, approximately three-quarters of the 1,000 US residents polled responded they were worried about medical mistakes being made, and just under half of the respondents claiming to be “very concerned”. The concerns were validated by the experiences those individuals had with doctors and medical staff though.
A total of 30 percent of those surveyed stated that they or a family member had experienced a medical mistake, such as a drug injury from being given the wrong medication, a medication dosage error, or an incorrect treatment. Roughly 20 percent stated they received a misdiagnosis from a doctor.
However, more than half of respondents fought back against these mistakes by using their own research to validate a diagnosis or seeking a second opinion.
The Children’ Hospital of Colorado found simply placing a photo with each file helped prevent physician order errors. New technology is also being used to help reduce errors, such as a recording device that will document conversations between patients and doctors to ensure clarity of the treatment plan on both sides.
The Colorado Springs Personal Injury Lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm understand these concerns for medical safety and are here to help anyone who may have suffered negative effects due to medical staff negligence.
