Scientists, researchers, doctors. Those are just some of the heroes of our time, devoting all their lives to the betterment of society, each in their own respective industry. But when a scientist fails an experiment, he can simply try again until he gets it right.
If a doctor makes a mistake, he can leave serious, long-lasting consequences. A doctor’s mistake can even mean death. Analyzing media reports, one might think it’s not really that big of a deal, but the numbers actually say otherwise. Doctor malpractice happens more often than you’d imagine. In this article, you will discover the size and the scope of medical mistakes happening in hospitals across the US, as well as what you can do in case something like this happens.
The epidemic of medical errors
Johns Hopkins University has recently released a paper in which it says that medical error accounts for more than 250,000 deaths a year, putting it in front of suicide, strokes, accidents and respiratory disease as causes of death. Just heart disease (614,348) and cancer (591,699) cause more death a year. The sad thing is – these numbers, even though coming from a highly respectable source, might not be correct.
The only reason why heart disease and cancer are logged as bigger death causes is because “medical error is not an option on death certificates”, according to lawyer’s blog Medical Malpractice. This lack of transparency is preventing researchers to discover the true depth of the problem, and thus requiring extra effort to come up with a solution.
There are a couple of key reasons why this happens – one of them being particularly painful. Besides mistakes doctors make due to either lack of experience and knowledge, the influence of Big Pharma is worrying. Everyone makes mistakes, and doctors should not be crucified for them. After all, they are doing their best. But when Big Pharma intervenes, pressuring doctors into prescribing certain medications for financial benefit only – that’s where the real problem begins.
How to protect yourself from medical malpractice
The most common advice, and a preemptive one, is to always, ALWAYS – seek second opinion. Test results should always be given to more than just one doctor, to see if their opinions will differ dramatically. If that indeed is the case, it is very important to carefully consider which road the patient will take.
In case a doctor’s mistake has already occurred, and it has already left certain consequences, victims can seek compensation and additional help. In such a scenario, hiring a medical malpractice attorney is a good place to start. Their knowledge and experience can be of immense help, and getting in front of people who’ve been injured in medical malpractice shields them from additional stress and helps them focus on recovery, instead of chasing compensations.
Medical malpractice is a big issue, and an important one to tackle. Accidents can happen, and will always happen, but mistakes driven by greed should be exterminated. It is high time we do some serious research into the matter, and shield both medical practitioners and patients from unnecessary evil.
