At the hospital, it is crucial to be aware of what you are doing and what everyone else around you is doing. Because despite being a safe space for patients, hospitals are rife with malpractices.
Today, you will learn some of the most common malpractices so that when something doesn’t seem right to you at the hospital next time, you will know what action to take, such as hiring a medical malpractice attorney.
Dive in!
Common Hospital Malpractices You Are Likely to Encounter
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Wrong Prescription of Drugs
Wrong drug prescription is the most common hospital malpractice you are likely to encounter. This malpractice occurs when a medication prescribed for one patient is wrongly prescribed to another patient.
When medicine is administered wrongfully to you, the effects could be dire. You could develop vomiting complications, mood changes, impaired cognitive ability, falling into a coma, and even death.
Consequently, it is imperative for you to cross-check and confirm with the one administering the prescription to ascertain that you are indeed receiving what the doctor prescribed.
Delayed Diagnosis/Misdiagnosis
A visit to the doctor does not always guarantee a proper diagnosis. The truth is, you may not be aware that you are getting misdiagnosed or your symptoms misinterpreted. You might think everything is fine because the doctor didn’t tell you otherwise, but in fact, there could have been something serious going on, and it has gone entirely undetected.
It is not uncommon to hear people told they have allergies when they have an underlying condition that needs surgery. This is why ensuring all treatment information is correct by verifying with other professionals before accepting any diagnosis from doctors will help prevent these issues from occurring over time.
Failure to Receive Treatment
Failure to receive treatment is another malpractice you are likely to encounter in a hospital. This occurs when your doctor does not provide you with the proper care, whether they don’t want to, forget, or simply don’t have time. Either way, if this happens, seek medical attention elsewhere.
Childbirth Injuries
If you are pregnant, then you must know the potential dangers involved in giving birth. Childbirth injuries can occur for several reasons, and hospitals should be well-equipped enough to handle any emergencies during delivery.
If your doctor does not help alleviate these issues by providing immediate treatment or failing to diagnose the resulting complaints after childbirth properly, they may have committed malpractice.
Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are another form of common malpractice in hospitals. These errors can result from human negligence, lack of communication among medical team members, or outdated equipment, which leads to an increased risk for patient injury and even death.
Conclusion
The purpose of this article is to inform you about some common malpractices that are likely to happen in hospitals. It doesn’t necessarily mean the hospital itself does it, but instead what may occur when they hire certain medical professionals or companies for their services.
This isn’t meant as a scare tactic because there are plenty of good doctors out there. It’s only to raise awareness and educate people on some common mistakes in a hospital.