Posts by Barry Nace
Can a Surgical Black Box Help Prevent Occurrences of Medical Malpractice?
Most people are familiar with the black box as it relates to commercial aircraft. Black boxes record various flight parameters in real time such as altitude, airspeed, control positions, and more. In the event of an airline crash, the black box, if found, can provide extremely important information about what led to the accident and…
Read MoreThe Track Record of Implicit Bias and Medical Misdiagnosis
In medical care settings, does skin color contribute to the quality of medical care provided to patients, thus influencing their medical outcomes? Unfortunately, some analysis of this question has occurred in recent years favoring the notion that racial bias is a problem in the practice of medicine as in other professions. This conclusion made by…
Read MoreWhen Your Doctor’s Mental Health Causes Medical Errors
There is no getting around the fact that doctors are human beings susceptible to the same medical conditions as anyone else they may treat. Even with the assistance of technology in the medical field helping to eliminate (some) medical errors, patients can come to harm due to mistakes. We still expect, and deserve, competent medical…
Read MoreThe Dangerous (In)convenience of Dockless Scooters and Bikes
Life used to be so much simpler – and safer – before everything became electronic. Life is now so fast paced that rules and basic courtesy have flown right out the window. Now, drivers fail to use turn signals or obey basic traffic laws, often while fiddling with their radio or GPS. Shoppers ignore moving…
Read MoreEvidence Shows Women’s Health and Pain Issues are Taken Less Seriously Than Men’s
Historically, modern medical research has focused on the health of men, based on statute and tradition. Only in the past 2 to 3 decades, have restrictions that prohibited many women from participating in clinical trials been lifted, allowing researchers to thoroughly and scientifically consider how the health outcomes of women differ from men’s. Due to…
Read MoreIt’s Getting Harder to Get Good Health Care in Rural America
There’s a rural health crisis in America that is making it harder and harder for people who live in certain parts of West Virginia to get quality health care. One of the biggest problems is that primary care physicians, the lifeblood of smaller communities, tend to leave for better-paying pastures in the suburbs and the…
Read More5 Anesthesia Errors and the Injuries They Cause
Anesthesia is given to patients in various types of medical care situations (including dental care) in order to help them remain as calm, comfortable, and as safe as possible. Administering anesthesia places the individual into a state of either semi-consciousness or total unconsciousness. It allows medical professionals to perform procedures that would otherwise bring significant…
Read MoreFDA Exemption for Medical Device Defects is Harming Patients and Thwarting Doctors
Most doctors and the public think that the FDA’s database on defective medical devices should be current and complete. If a product malfunctions, the reasonable expectation is that the doctor can research the device to learn what complaints have been filed and whether it is safe for future surgeries. What doctors also expect is that…
Read MoreNew Law Makes It Easier to Sue for E-Scooter Injuries in Washington, DC
Electric scooters are known to be a danger to riders and pedestrians. Many teens and young adults ride them on the sidewalks where they can hurt pedestrians. When e-scooters strike a car, the scooter offers no protection to the rider. There have been instances where the brakes and throttles have malfunctioned. Hitting a bump can…
Read MoreAmbulance Diversion and the Problem of Hospital Overcrowding
In August 2014, Tiffany Tate was working in the Medical College of Wisconsin cafeteria at a Milwaukee hospital when she suffered a stroke. At that moment she was only a few hundred yards away from Froedtert Hospital’s emergency department which includes a premier stroke center. However, she was not transported there due to the fact…
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