Seeking medical care involves trusting your healthcare team to follow the best practices in their field. The majority of physicians, nurses and other healthcare practitioners start their day with a desire to do their best to provide quality care to their patients. But, mistakes can happen that lead to medical harm.
The root causes of medical harm include many complex issues that impact the healthcare field. Overworked staff, poor communication and a lack of training are just a few of the most preventable causes of medical harm. Occasionally, medical harm could occur from errors that aren’t just an individual’s mistake. For instance, malfunctioning equipment or glitches in healthcare technology could lead to medical harm without the appropriate safety protocols in place.
In some cases, medical harm causes reversible effects. For instance, having someone give you the wrong medication could temporarily leave you with an allergic reaction that clears up quickly. But, you should still take this as a warning sign that the staff is overwhelmed or lacking proper follow-through on safety standards.
In a worst-case scenario, medical harm could involve the loss of a limb when a surgeon decides to operate on the wrong patient. The most serious cases of medical harm leave lasting damage that can extend to losing your life. Arming yourself with knowledge about preventable medical harm is the best way to protect you or your loved one from developing worsening health conditions when you are seeking healthcare services.
Recognize the Most Common Types of Medical Harm
Medical harm can take many different forms, but there are a few types that tend to happen more frequently in the healthcare field. Medication errors are fairly common. A nurse might give you medication that is meant for someone else. Or, someone might miss the allergy warnings and give you a medication that you aren’t supposed to take. Overdoses could also occur if your medical team fails to follow the proper dosing recommendations or doesn’t record when they administered the medication.
Other types of medical harm occur due to improper infection control procedures. Failing to scrub in properly could leave you exposed to a post-surgical infection. Sometimes, the instruments surgeons use aren’t properly sanitized. If you develop an infection after a major healthcare procedure, then it is possible that this is related to medical harm, especially when you’ve been following your aftercare instructions.
Surgical errors can result in some of the most severe cases of medical harm. While it might seem silly when a doctor labels the limb they’re operating on, this type of safety protocol can prevent major mistakes. In the past, physicians have operated on the wrong patient or the wrong side of the body and caused irreparable medical harm. These types of medical mistakes are often referred to as “never events,” since they shouldn’t happen at all when healthcare practitioners follow the appropriate protocols.
Take Steps to Prevent Mistakes That Harm Your Health
If the thought of experiencing medical harm gives you anxiety, then it helps to know that you have some effective ways to prevent yourself or a loved one from experiencing a preventable incident. Having someone you trust come with you to major medical appointments and procedures provides you with an advocate if something doesn’t seem right.
You’ll also want to make sure that you fully understand your or a loved one’s medical information. Make sure to review your medication allergies, current healthcare regimen and other pertinent details before you go into a medical facility for care. You can then take the additional step of reviewing this information with anyone who provides you with healthcare services. Checking your medical record is a great way to identify errors before they can impact your health.
If you have a concern during your time at a medical facility, then check to see if there is a patient advocate on staff. Many major hospitals and medical clinics have people in place who are trained to intervene with safety issues before medical harm occurs.
Be Prepared to Address Medical Harm As a Patient
As a general rule, you’ll want to speak up fast if you notice something is wrong. If a medical error is made that doesn’t cause you lasting harm, then report it to the appropriate authorities. Making a report could help the healthcare facility implement better safety standards, such as adding more staff to the schedule.
If you experience medical harm that leaves you with lingering symptoms or long-lasting health issues, then you’ll need to begin documenting your diagnosis, ongoing care and costs. Requesting your medical records can give you access to important information about who may be responsible for the medical harm. You’ll also want to reach out to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer like the ones at Forbes Law Offices who can begin advocating on your behalf.
Since medical harm could involve health issues that impact your quality of life, it is important to seek legal representation to begin managing your case. Needing ongoing medical care can lead to mounting healthcare bills, lost work time and the need for medications and assistive devices. While facing a legal challenge can be stressful, receiving the compensation you need for a healthy recovery can take some of the stress off your shoulders.
Paying attention to the warning signs of events that tend to occur before an accident could allow you to speak up before harm occurs. Noticing that the staff is overwhelmed might let you know to increase your patient advocacy for a loved one by asking staff questions about which medications they are administering. Or, you might need to seek medical attention for signs of worsening health conditions, such as unexpectedly high pain levels after a surgery that could indicate an instrument being left behind.
After making sure that you or your loved one’s immediate health care needs are met, it’s also best to reach out to a lawyer to identify your next course of action. Since medical harm often leads to life-altering injuries, it might be necessary to seek compensation to manage your future care needs.
