Had it not been for the incredible progress that has occurred in medicine and technology, the health sector would not be where it is today. However, despite massive advancements in this field, a lot of experts continue to commit medical errors, which is a leading cause of millions of deaths around the world. In the United States, for example, medical malpractice is a major reason why so many people die while undergoing surgery or treatment.
You will be shocked to discover that a John Hopkins University survey concluded that as many as 0.25 million people could be dying annually as a result of medical malpractice in the United States. Other sources suggest that this is a very conservative figure, i.e., the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher.
The number of medical negligence claims have been steadily increasing over the last couple of decades in the UK, US, Western Europe, and several other countries.
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death globally. While diseases such diabetes type 1 and lupus are incurable and not preventable, medical errors most definitely are. Some patients, when they are admitted to a medical facility, are more at risk of dying as a result of medical malpractice than the disease they are suffering from.
Luckily, there are options for the victims of medical malpractice such as filing a lawsuit against the hospital, health care professional, physician, etc. Whether you are a family member or the victim, it is essential to know the leading causes of medical malpractice lawsuits:
Delayed Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis
While they both sound similar, there is a significant difference between the two. One of the leading reasons for medical malpractice is delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. A misdiagnosis occurs when a health professional or physician determines that the patient is suffering from one thing when, in fact, they are suffering from something else. In other words, a misdiagnosis is a wrong diagnosis.
If you visit your doctor complaining of gastrointestinal problems and are sent away with a prescription for tummy upset, you will do what the doctor advised and take your medicine. However, a few weeks later, you may decide to see a different healthcare professional, perhaps a specialist, because your symptoms have not gone away. In fact, they have gotten worse. This second doctor accurately diagnoses stomach cancer. Two problems have occurred here:
- Misdiagnosis – the first doctor got it wrong.
- Delayed diagnosis – your (accurate) diagnosis occurs later than it could have. Your disease may have advanced more than it could have before you receive treatment.
In many cases, a delayed diagnosis means that it is too late for effective treatment. If your stomach cancer metastasizes, i.e., spreads to other parts of the body, your chances of a cure are considerably reduced.
Unfortunately, the mortality rate, even in developed countries due to medical negligence, is suprisingly high. In fact, some developing nations have better ways to cater for childbirth. A recent study shows that 700 mothers die giving birth annually in the US alone because of medical malpractice. Other advanced economies such as United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan also have higher-than-expected rates of death during childbirth.
The injuries caused by childbirth can be tragic. Especially when it comes to treating women who are giving birth for the first time in their lives.
Even if the mother has delivered the child safely, the newborn might suffer from medical or mental problems throughout their life. According to birth trauma lawyers, negligence might start a few months before delivery and eventually show its true colors after the child is born.
Determining whether to proceed with a natural birth or C-section commonly leads to the wrong decision, some studies have suggested.
Lack of Informed Consent
It is the responsibility of the medical expert to inform the patient about everything that has to be performed in surgery and the kind of treatment they will receive. As a patient, you must ask for all the essential facts and figures. Unfortunately, not all doctors are as helpful, considerate, law-abiding, or transparent as they should be.
The ethos behind educating patients about a surgical procedure is to let them know about the risks involved. If they did not know about the risks and possible outcomes of certain surgical procedures, and those procedures occur, they happened without their proper, informed consent.
In the vast majority of countries, legislation stipulates that patient consent is a critical component when doctors are considering how to move forward. Non-compliance on part of the healthcare professional is an example of medical malpractice.
Anesthesia is the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about surgery. For instance, people who have to go through regular interventions such as annual colonoscopies need anesthesia. Your dental procedure might also need sedation.
Administering anesthesia to a patient with hypertension, i.e., high blood pressure, poses greater than average risks. It can even result in death if you get it wrong. A responsible anesthetist needs to study the patient’s medical history carefully before deciding how to procede before, during, and after surgery.
In severe cases, patients might suffer from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), brain damage, breathing difficulties, cardiac arrest, and multiple organ failure. Anesthesia is essential because none of us would tolerate a surgical procedure without it – it would be too painful, distressing, and traumatizing. However, it needs to be done properly.
Emergency Room Mistakes
According to many studies, most cases of medical malpractice occur in emergency rooms, where doctors misdiagnose or fail to fully appreciate their patient’s situation. An emergency room situation, especially on a busy Friday night or after a major accident or explosion, is completely different from that of a conventional hospital ward. A significantly higher percentage of patients are close to dying, i.e., they are critical cases.
When doctors and nurses have to multitask and work rapidly in a busy environment, they are more likely to make mistakes. Some common examples of medical malpractice in emergency rooms include misdiagnoses, treating patients too late, failing to stop blood loss, mixing up patient records, not following national, regional, or hospital guidelines, etc.
Despite stringent rules and regulations, surgical errors are still surprisingly common today. Many of them are not life-threatening, but can lead to problems that affect patients for the rest of their lives.
A surgical team may, for example, amputate the wrong limb, treat the wrong side of the body, leave scissors or other medical devices inside the patient, over-anesthetise their patient, not sterilize their equipment and instruments properly, let the patient bleed to death, work while under the influence of alcohol or psychoactive drugs, etc. If something is psychoactive it means that it affects the way you think.
In some cases, malpractice in surgery may result in a person’s death. The victim’s wife, brother, sister, or parents may decide to sue the surgical team or hospital.
If a loved one of yours is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for, for example, mesothelioma cancer and has suffered because of negligence or non-compliance by the members of the oncology team, you can file a Mesothelioma Lawsuit. The victim may subsequently be awarded compensation, free medical treatment, or a significant discount on any future procedures, visits, and drugs.
Sadly, this is another concrete reason why a lot of people lose their lives at the hands of medical experts. In most developed countries, the emphasis is always placed on prescription medicines. Therefore, a strong reason for worsening health conditions is none other than incorrect medication prescriptions.
These errors include prescribing the wrong drugs, suggesting an inappropriate dose, giving something to patients that they are allergic to, giving medicine at the wrong time of their treatment schedule, etc. These errors happen at pharmacies and physician’s clinics, in other words, wherever prescriptions are written, read, or dispensed.
Failure to Treat
A major example of medical malpractice is when doctors fail to treat their patients in the right way. It is often the result of late disagnosis or misdiagnosis. This happens when a doctor sees the patient but is unable to diagnose accurately. The patient subsequently receives either no treatment or the wrong one.
A lot of patients die every year as a result of this problem. Dismissing their health condition, not treating it on time, referring them to the wrong specialist, are all problems faced by a lot of people in hospital.
Failure to treat the patient on time is serious malpractice and should not be ignoredl. Once you hire a competent, experienced, and specialized lawyer, your chances of receiving proper compensation are significantly improved.
Defective Medical Devices
Even if staff members performs their duty correctly, patients can still die. Using dirty or faulty medical equipment can undermine the effectiveness of surgery and other treatment, and may also negatively affect the patient’s health later.
Although these issues can be traced back to the manufacturer of the product, it is imperative for doctors to make sure that the medical equipment and devices they use cannot harm their patients. It is the medical team’s responsibility to make sure that everything works properly and has been sterilized. If it can be proved that this did not happen, they may have to face expensive lawsuits.
Doctors, nurses, and hospitals have insurance to cover them if they are sued. However, the insurance companies expect them to have followed proper procedures and guidelines.
Interesting related article: “What is a Lawsuit?”
Kama si kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya ajabu ambayo yametokea katika dawa na teknolojia, sekta ya afya isingekuwa ambapo ni leo. Hata hivyo, licha ya maendeleo makubwa katika uwanja huu, wataalamu wengi wanaendelea kufanya makosa ya matibabu, ambayo ni sababu kuu ya mamilioni ya vifo duniani kote. Kwa mfano, katika Marekani, kosa la daktari ndilo sababu kuu ya watu wengi kufa wanapokuwa wakifanyiwa upasuaji au matibabu. "Kama matokeo ya utafiti uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Johns Hopkins, ""Watu milioni 0.25 wanaweza kufa kila mwaka kutokana na makosa ya matibabu nchini Marekani.""" Vyanzo vingine vinadokeza kwamba hii ni takwimu ya kihafidhina sana, yaani, idadi halisi ya vifo inaweza kuwa kubwa sana. Idadi ya madai ya uzembe wa matibabu imekuwa ikiongezeka kwa kasi katika miongo michache iliyopita nchini Uingereza, Marekani, Ulaya Magharibi, na nchi nyingine kadhaa. Kwa kusikitisha, makosa ya kitiba ndiyo kisababishi cha tatu kikuu cha vifo ulimwenguni. Ingawa magonjwa kama vile ugonjwa wa kisukari wa aina ya 1 na ugonjwa wa lupus hayawezi kutibiwa na kuepukwa, makosa ya kitiba kwa hakika yanaweza kuepukwa. Wagonjwa wengine, wanapolazwa katika kituo cha matibabu, wanakabili hatari kubwa zaidi ya kufa kutokana na makosa ya kitiba kuliko ugonjwa wanaugua. Kwa bahati nzuri, kuna njia za kisheria za kuwakamata wahasiriwa wa makosa ya matibabu kama vile kufungua kesi dhidi ya hospitali, mtaalamu wa huduma za afya, daktari, na wengine. Ikiwa wewe ni mshiriki wa familia au mhasiriwa, ni muhimu kujua sababu kuu za kesi za udanganyifu wa matibabu: Uchunguzi wa kucheleweshwa au Uchunguzi wa makosa Ingawa zote mbili zina sauti sawa, kuna tofauti kubwa kati ya hizo mbili. Mojawapo ya sababu kuu za makosa ya kitiba ni kucheleweshwa kwa utambuzi na utambuzi mbaya. Ugonjwa wa misdiagnosis hutokea wakati daktari au mtaalamu wa afya anapogundua kuwa mgonjwa anaugua ugonjwa fulani wakati, kwa kweli, anaugua ugonjwa mwingine. Kwa maneno mengine, utambuzi usiofaa ni utambuzi usiofaa. Ikiwa unakwenda kwa daktari wako kwa malalamiko ya matatizo ya tumbo na unaruhusiwa kuondoka na dawa ya tumbo, utafanya kile daktari alivyokuambia na kuchukua dawa yako. Hata hivyo, baada ya wiki chache, unaweza kuamua kumwona mtaalamu mwingine wa huduma za afya, labda mtaalamu, kwa sababu dalili zako hazijapotea. Kwa kweli, zimekuwa mbaya zaidi. Daktari huyo wa pili hugundua kansa ya tumbo kwa usahihi. Matatizo mawili yametokea hapa: - Ugonjwa usiofaa <unk> daktari wa kwanza alikosekana. - Uchunguzi uliocheleweshwa <unk> uchunguzi wako (wa usahihi) unatokea baadaye kuliko ulivyopaswa kuwa. Huenda ugonjwa wako ukaendelea zaidi kuliko ulivyokuwa kabla ya kupokea matibabu. Katika visa vingi, kuchelewa kugundua ugonjwa huo humaanisha kwamba ni kuchelewa mno kupata matibabu yenye matokeo. Kama kansa ya tumbo yako metastasizes, yaani, kuenea kwa sehemu nyingine za mwili, nafasi yako ya uponyaji ni kiasi kikubwa kupunguzwa. Kwa kusikitisha, kiwango cha vifo, hata katika nchi zilizoendelea kwa sababu ya uzembe wa kitiba, ni cha juu sana. Kwa kweli, baadhi ya mataifa yanayoendelea yana njia bora za kutunza kuzaa. Utafiti wa hivi karibuni unaonyesha kwamba kila mwaka mama 700 hufa wakati wa kuzaa nchini Marekani kwa sababu ya makosa ya matibabu. Nchi nyingine zilizoendelea kama vile Uingereza, Ufaransa, Ujerumani, na Japani pia zina viwango vya juu zaidi ya vile vinavyotarajiwa vya vifo wakati wa kujifungua. Majeraha yanayosababishwa na kujifungua yanaweza kuwa yenye kuhuzunisha. Hasa kwa wanawake wanaozaa mara ya kwanza. Hata kama mama amemzaa mtoto salama, mtoto huyo anaweza kuwa na matatizo ya kiafya au ya kiakili maisha yake yote. Kulingana na wanasheria wa majeraha ya kuzaliwa, udanganyifu waweza kuanza miezi michache kabla ya kujifungua na hatimaye kuonyesha rangi zake za kweli baada ya mtoto kuzaliwa. Kuamua kama ni kuzaa kwa njia ya asili au kwa njia ya upasuaji wa kifua cha Kaisari kwa kawaida huongoza kwenye uamuzi usiofaa, utafiti fulani umedokeza. Usiwajibikaji wa kukubali kwa habari: Ni jukumu la daktari kumjulisha mgonjwa juu ya kila kitu kinachohitajika kufanywa katika upasuaji na aina ya matibabu atakayopokea. Kama mgonjwa, lazima uulize mambo yote muhimu na takwimu. Kwa kusikitisha, si madaktari wote wanaosaidia, wanajali, wanatii sheria, au ni wenye uwazi kama inavyopaswa kuwa. Maadili ya kuwaelimisha wagonjwa kuhusu upasuaji ni kuwajulisha kuhusu hatari zinazohusika. Ikiwa hawajui hatari na matokeo ya upasuaji fulani, na upasuaji huo unatokea, umefanyika bila idhini yao sahihi. Katika nchi nyingi, sheria inatoa idhini ya mgonjwa kama kipengele muhimu wakati madaktari wanapoamua jinsi ya kuendelea. Kutokubaliana kwa sehemu ya mtaalamu wa huduma ya afya ni mfano wa makosa ya matibabu. Anesthesia ni jambo la kwanza linalokuja akilini tunapozungumza juu ya upasuaji. Kwa mfano, watu wanaopaswa kufanyiwa upasuaji wa kawaida kama vile upasuaji wa kila mwaka wa utumbo wa ndani wanahitaji anesthesia. Utaratibu wako wa meno waweza pia kuhitaji dawa ya kutuliza. Kutumia anesthesia kwa mgonjwa mwenye shinikizo la damu la juu, yaani, shinikizo la damu la juu, huandaa hatari kubwa kuliko ya kawaida. Inaweza hata kusababisha kifo ikiwa utafanya makosa. Daktari wa upasuaji anayehusika anapaswa kuchunguza historia ya ugonjwa wa mgonjwa kwa uangalifu kabla ya kuamua jinsi ya kutenda kabla, wakati, na baada ya upasuaji. Katika visa vikali, wagonjwa wanaweza kupatwa na upungufu wa oksijeni (kupungua kwa oksijeni), uharibifu wa ubongo, matatizo ya kupumua, kushindwa kwa moyo, na kushindwa kwa viungo vingi. Ugonjwa wa kuhalalisha ni muhimu kwa sababu hakuna yeyote kati yetu angeweza kuvumilia upasuaji bila upasuaji huo - ungekuwa wenye kuumiza sana, wenye kusumbua, na wenye kuumiza. Hata hivyo, ni lazima lifanywe kwa njia inayofaa. Makosa ya chumba cha dharura Kulingana na masomo mengi, kesi nyingi za makosa ya matibabu hutokea katika vyumba vya dharura, ambapo madaktari hupima vibaya au kushindwa kuthamini kabisa hali ya mgonjwa wao. Hali ya chumba cha dharura, hasa katika usiku wa Ijumaa wenye shughuli nyingi au baada ya aksidenti kubwa au mlipuko, ni tofauti kabisa na ile ya wadi ya kawaida ya hospitali. Asilimia kubwa zaidi ya wagonjwa wako karibu kufa, yaani, ni visa muhimu. Wakati madaktari na wauguzi wanahitaji kufanya kazi nyingi na kufanya kazi haraka katika mazingira yenye shughuli nyingi, wao huelekea kufanya makosa. Mifano ya kawaida ya udanganyifu wa matibabu katika vyumba vya dharura ni pamoja na utambuzi mbaya, kutibu wagonjwa marehemu sana, kushindwa kuzuia kupoteza damu, kuchanganya rekodi za wagonjwa, kutofuata miongozo ya kitaifa, kikanda, au hospitali, nk. Licha ya sheria na kanuni kali, makosa ya upasuaji bado ni ya kawaida sana leo. Wengi wao hawahatarini uhai, lakini wanaweza kusababisha matatizo ambayo huathiri wagonjwa kwa maisha yao yote. Kwa mfano, timu ya upasuaji inaweza kukata mguu usiofaa, kutibu upande usiofaa wa mwili, kuacha scissors au vifaa vingine vya matibabu ndani ya mgonjwa, over-anesthetize mgonjwa wao, si sterilize vifaa na vyombo vyao vizuri, basi mgonjwa kutokwa na damu hadi kifo, kazi wakati chini ya ushawishi wa pombe au dawa za kulevya, nk. Kama kitu ni psychoactive inamaanisha kwamba inaathiri njia ya kufikiri. Katika visa fulani, kosa katika upasuaji laweza kusababisha kifo cha mtu. Mke, ndugu, dada, au wazazi wa mhasiriwa wanaweza kuamua kumshtaki daktari wa upasuaji au hospitali. Ikiwa mtu unayempenda anapata matibabu ya kemikali kwa sababu ya kansa ya mesothelioma na ameteseka kwa sababu ya uzembe au kutofuata kwa wanachama wa timu ya oncology, unaweza kuwasilisha kesi ya Mesothelioma. Baadaye, mhasiriwa anaweza kupata fidia, matibabu ya bure, au punguzo kubwa kwa ajili ya matibabu, ziara, na dawa zozote za baadaye. Kwa kusikitisha, hii ni sababu nyingine halisi kwa nini watu wengi hupoteza maisha yao mikononi mwa wataalamu wa matibabu. Katika nchi nyingi zilizoendelea, daima mkazo huwekwa juu ya dawa zinazopendekezwa na daktari. Kwa hiyo, sababu kubwa ya kuzorota kwa hali ya afya ni kuagiza dawa zisizo sahihi. Makosa haya ni pamoja na kuagiza dawa zisizo sahihi, kupendekeza kipimo kisichofaa, kutoa kitu kwa wagonjwa ambao wana mzio, kutoa dawa kwa wakati usiofaa wa ratiba yao ya matibabu, nk. Makosa hayo hutukia katika maduka ya dawa na kliniki za madaktari, yaani, popote ambapo dawa huandikwa, kusomwa, au kutolewa. Kushindwa kutibu Mfano mkubwa wa udanganyifu wa kitiba ni wakati madaktari wanashindwa kutibu wagonjwa wao kwa njia sahihi. Mara nyingi ni matokeo ya utambuzi wa kuchelewa au utambuzi mbaya. Hilo hutukia wakati daktari anapomwona mgonjwa lakini hawezi kumtambua kwa usahihi. Baadaye mgonjwa hupokea matibabu yoyote au matibabu yasiyofaa. Wagonjwa wengi hufa kila mwaka kwa sababu ya tatizo hili. Kutokubali hali yao ya afya, kutozitibu kwa wakati, kuwahamisha kwa mtaalamu asiyefaa, ni matatizo yote yanayokabiliwa na watu wengi katika hospitali. Kushindwa kutibu mgonjwa kwa wakati ni kosa kubwa na halipaswi kupuuzwa. Mara tu unapokodisha mwanasheria mwenye uwezo, mwenye uzoefu, na maalumu, nafasi zako za kupokea fidia inayofaa zinaongezeka sana. Vifaa vya Matibabu Vilivyo na Kasoro Hata kama wafanyakazi hufanya kazi yao kwa usahihi, wagonjwa wanaweza bado kufa. Kutumia vifaa vya matibabu visivyo safi au vyenye kasoro kunaweza kudhoofisha ufanisi wa upasuaji na matibabu mengine, na pia kunaweza kuathiri afya ya mgonjwa baadaye. Ingawa matatizo haya yanaweza kufuatiliwa hadi kwa mtengenezaji wa bidhaa, ni muhimu kwa madaktari kuhakikisha kwamba vifaa vya matibabu wanavyotumia haviwezi kuumiza wagonjwa wao. Ni jukumu la timu ya matibabu kuhakikisha kwamba kila kitu inafanya kazi vizuri na imekuwa sterilized. Ikiwa inaweza kuthibitishwa kwamba hilo halikutukia, huenda wakalazimika kukabili kesi za kisheria zenye gharama kubwa. Madaktari, wauguzi, na hospitali zina bima ya kuwalinda ikiwa watashtakiwa. Hata hivyo, makampuni ya bima hutarajia kwamba wametumia utaratibu na miongozo ifaayo. Makala ya kuvutia inayohusiana: <unk>Ni nini kesi?<unk>