[Photo Caption: Up to 15,000 elderly people may be losing their lives each month due to preventable hospital errors.] A recent article in the noted medical policy journal Health Affairs claims that the number of people who die as a result of hospital-acquired conditions is still unclear. While some government agencies say 90,000 people die… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: hospital errors
Bed Sores Are Amongst Most Common Hospital Errors
Posted in Hospital Bed SoresRecognizing that the development of a bed sore during an admission to a hospital as something that simply should not occur, many facilities have begun to categorize their development for what they truly are— a serious medical error. Bed sores now join a list of dreadful occurrences such as: operations on the wrong body part,… Continue Reading
New Medicare Report On Medical Errors In Hospitals Reinforces Ongoing Problems
Posted in Medical MalpracticeThere’s some saying that has been jumbled back-and-forth about how many patients were feeling fine until they went to the hospital and got sick. Well, as corny as the saying may be, a trip to the hospital may be one of that last places you want to go— particularly when you look at data released… Continue Reading
Hospital Errors: Study Finds Preventable Errors Continue To Harm Patients At Alarming Rate
Posted in Medical Malpractice“Don’t go to the hospital if you don’t want to get sick” is frequently said in jest by many of my colleagues who represent people who have been harmed by mistakes made in hospitals. Now, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding errors made at North Carolina hospitals reinforces this… Continue Reading
Avoid Hospitals In July
Posted in Medical Malpractice, Medication ErrorsWe’ve all heard about how it may be in your best interest to avoid a hospitalization on a holiday or during a weekend, when senior staff tend to be off. However, a new study suggests that you may want to avoid a trip to the hospital completely during the month of July. As recently reported… Continue Reading
States Move To More Transparency Regarding Medical Malpractice & Hospital Errors
Posted in Medical MalpracticeWhen a family member is hurt, injured, or sick, you want to know that their hospital has a good reputation with few serious medical errors. You expect doctors and nurses to treat your loved ones with the respect, care, and caution that is owed to them to ensure that they get better, not worse. The… Continue Reading
Now that we score nursing homes, is it time to do the same with hospitals?
Posted in Bed Sores, Pressure Sores, Decubitus Ulcers & Pressure UlcersI recently received an email from the National Decubitus Foundation mentioning how only a handful of states currently require hospitals to report the incidence of ‘never events’ to authorities that occur at their facilities. Consequently, the patient / consumer is left in the dark when it comes to ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ hospitals. ‘Never events‘ are… Continue Reading
Medicare No Longer To Pay For ‘Reasonably Prevenatable’ Medical Errors
Posted in Medical Malpractice, MedicareAs of October 1, 2008 Medicare is no longer reimbursing hospitals for reasonably preventable medical errors. The medical facilities will similarly no longer be able to charge patients directly for medical care resulting in errors. Called ‘never events’–because the medical errors were never intended to occur, the below is a list of the never events… Continue Reading