You don’t want to distrust your doctors and nurses. Unfortunately, when it comes to your health and safety, you can’t be too careful. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, taking more than 250,000 lives every year according to a study published by John Hopkins. What’s tragic is that most of these medical errors are completely preventable- and doctors/medical staff are well aware.
Medical Errors Are Preventable
Patient safety should always be a top priority for doctors and medical professionals in every field of healthcare. However, mistakes in the medical field are continuing to take the lives of nearly 700 every day. While some of these mistakes are due to careless practices, others may be made in the heat of a crisis or out of pure exhaustion by overworked professionals. Even in the best medical facilities, mistakes can occur, but that doesn’t mean patients have to suffer the health consequences or give their lives because of them.
Medical Errors That Kill
Any medical error in a patient’s care can lead to serious injuries, illnesses, or even death, even if the mistakes appear only minor to start. Some of the most common medical errors causing the most harm to patients according to the American Association of Retired People (AARP) include:
Medical professionals are only human, bound to make mistakes at some point in their careers. Unlike a number of other industries, however, people’s lives are directly at risk if a doctor has a ‘bad day’ or a nurse makes a slight error in administering medication.
Most Common Causes
As a patient, you will never be able to prevent all medical errors in your care but knowing the most common causes for the occurrence of these deadly mistakes could help you spot them before they harm you or a loved one. There are eight common causes for most medical errors according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ):
These factors can significantly predict the successful recovery and treatment of a patient. Health experts believe by studying and learning from these mistakes, the healthcare industry could begin transforming the standard of care to reduce the number of unnecessary fatalities caused by medical errors in the future- what about the millions of patients at risk right now?
Standing Up For Your Care
Most medical professionals are in the healthcare industry to care for and help others, not to harm them. But this doesn’t mean patients shouldn’t be cautious or stop advocating for themselves if something just doesn’t feel right about their treatment. AHRQ provides tips for patients to help prevent medical errors during their care:
NYC Medical Malpractice Lawyers
No patient should have to suffer due to preventable medical errors in their care. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or illness due to medical negligence, our winning team of medical malpractice lawyers is here to fight back. The law firm of Pazer, Epstein, Jaffe, and Fein has been seeking justice for patients suffering from unnecessary medical errors in NYC for over 50 years.
Contact us using our convenient online form or feel free to phone us in New York at 212-227-1212, or in Huntington/Long Island at 631-864-2429.
This month, we observe National Ladder Safety Month, an awareness campaign dedicated to highlighting the crucial importance of ladder safety,…
Within the past three years, the construction industry in New York City has witnessed a troubling trend: a steady increase…
As we step into the new year, New York is ushering in a wave of legislative changes that will significantly…
New Proposed OSHA Regulations for Safety Gear OSHA announced new proposed regulations to update the current Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)…
Safety advocates are bringing to light an overlooked hazard with construction helmets that is leading to unnecessary accidents and injuries. …
FDNY members rescued a construction worker on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on Thursday when he fell 30 feet…