Medical Negligence
A Decades-Long Delay in the Healthcare Safety Movement
In healthcare, an adverse event is an undesirable outcome in a medical procedure or treatment that is not caused by the initial injury or illness itself. A patient who suffers an allergic reaction to a medication has suffered from an adverse event. So has the patient whose hip replacement has deteriorated, and is now suffering…
Read MoreThe Slow Moving Progress of Suing the Military for Medical Malpractice
The passage of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 has been cause for celebration. For the first time in decades, our armed forces will finally be able to get the care they need for the injuries they sustained from toxic exposure. Most of the news coverage has concerned burn…
Read MoreThe Hidden Costs of Healthcare
There is no doubt that there are hidden costs of healthcare. We don’t mean the premiums or seeking care outside of your network, or even Emergency Room bills. It may sound cynical, but most people are fully cognizant of the shortfalls in their coverage, and expect to receive “surprise” bills associated with their care. For…
Read MoreIt’s Time to Tackle Never Events
According to a recently published analysis, approximately 25% of hospitals fall short of the Leapfrog Group’s standards when it comes to addressing and responding to patient harm events, often referred to as never events. The report revealed that 74.5% of 2,000+ hospitals that provided feedback on the 2018 Hospital Survey issued by Leapfrog adhered to…
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 MoreThe Deadly Threat of Superbugs in Hospitals and Beyond
When you visit or are admitted to a hospital as a patient, you are entering the confines of a complex health care system in which many communicable diseases and opportunities to acquire those diseases are present. The term used for this occurrence is Hospital Acquired Infection. Of particular concern today are certain strains of bacteria…
Read MoreWashington, DC Area Hospitals Are Failing to Prevent Infections
It is no secret that the hospitals in D.C. need some work. According to Hospital Safety Grade, an initiative launched by the nonprofit Leapfrog Group, out of the six hospitals located in Washington, D.C. proper, half have earned a “D” rating. The hospitals were evaluated in the following categories: Infections Problems with surgery Practice to…
Read MoreGoogle Forced to Remove “Blacklist” of Doctors on the Internet
A court in the country of Amsterdam has issued a ruling that directs Google to remove a list of unofficially “blacklisted” doctors from a discussion group online. The case is noted as the first involving the legal concept of “right to be forgotten” that pertains to the alleged medical negligence of a doctor. The judgment…
Read MorePlacental Abruption and Oxygen Deprivation
Thousands of women give birth every day in the United States, including here in the Washington, D.C. area. Labor and delivery is a common and safe experience for mothers and babies, but occasionally there are complications. If a baby is deprived of oxygen during the labor and delivery process, the child can suffer severe birth…
Read MoreThe Risks Involved with Repeated Child Birth C-Sections
Every day, babies all over this country are delivered via C-section, and they are happy, healthy and safe. The procedure isn’t easy on the mother – it is major surgery, after all – but most C-sections go off without a hitch. That does not mean, however, that there are no risks to the procedure. A…
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