Queens NY Medical Malpractice Attorneys Blog | New York Medication Errors Lawyers

Do hospitals profit from surgery errors?

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Surgical Errors on Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Patient safety advocates have been urging hospitals to improve their surgical procedures and practices to reduce the risk of surgical errors. Now, a new study may show why hospitals don't seem as worried about preventing surgical errors from happening.

A new study found that hospitals actually profit from surgical errors because insurance companies end up paying for longer stays in the hospital that require extra treatment. Researchers analzyed surgical patients in 2010 and found that when a surgical error occured, the patient not only spent more time in the hospital but the patient's insurance company ended up paying a lot more for their care.

Be aware of potential medical errors while in the hospital

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Monday, May 6, 2013.

Staying in the hospital can be quite scary for many patients and even for their families. When a patient's health is threatened by a medical mistake, victims are often scarred for life and instead of associating health care with healing many patients have a difficult time trusting anyone in the health care industry.

Studies have shown that most medical errors happen due to miscommunication between hospital staff workers. Communication errors and doctor errors usually happen when nurses change shifts during a hospital procedure and when doctors do not follow checklists intended to prevent errors and keep the patient safe.

Diagnostic errors result in most medical malpractice claims

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.

As more hospitals and medical centers are trying to improve patient safety, many patients may be wondering what risks they may still face when they are admitted to the hospital. Patients having surgery may worry about surgical mistakes or unsafe surgical equipment being used. Patients staying in the hospital may worry about medication errors or overdoses, and pregnant patients may worry about obstetric errors.

All patients are at risk for suffering from a hospital error but what is the most common type of medical mistake cited in medical malpractice lawsuits? The most common malpractice claim that results in a settlement or payment is diagnostic errors. This may be surprising to some but the National Practitioner Data Bank found that 28 percent of medical malpractice payments were for diagnostic errors.

Patients with Parkinson's disease at risk in the hospital

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

People with Parkinson's disease are in the hospital more often than other individuals their age. A new study found some worrying results for patients with Parkinson's disease that may make them more concerned when they are hospitalized.

The study found that older patients with Parkinson's disease are in the hospital longer because they do not receive their medications on time, and some don't even receive the correct medications to treat their disease. These medication errors can lead to some patients suffering further damage to their health and even result in their death.

Robot-assisted surgeries may not be safe for patients

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Surgical Errors on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.

All surgical procedures have risks but do patients who have surgery with robotic devices have an increased risk for being harmed? The Food and Drug Administration is trying to answer that question to make sure patients are not suffering surgical errors and complications from the robotic devices.

Robot-assisted surgeries have significantly increased during the last few years in U.S. hospitals. Last year, there were roughly 400,000 surgical procedures using the robotic system, compared to only 114,000 in 2008.

New York hospital sued over reusing syringes on patients

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Wednesday, April 10, 2013.

When patients go to the hospital, they expect the hospital to follow standard safety procedures to keep them safe. Unfortunately, that isn't always the case and more hospitals are reportedly using dirty needles, leading to serious complications or infections in their patients.

Reusing syringes on multiple patients can be very dangerous because syringes can easily spread infections or illnesses between patients. Hospitals are not supposed to share syringes between multiple patients but a recent case in New York shows just how harmful this practice can be and why hospitals need to prevent this type of medical error from happening.

Fewer hours, more errors: hospital patients at risk

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Wednesday, April 3, 2013.

Hospital residents in New York started working fewer hours in an effort to give them more time to sleep as well as improve patient safety. While many experts believed that reducing the number of hours residents could work would decrease medical errors, a new study found that this belief was wrong.

Despite new regulations reducing the number of hours a resident could work during a shift from 24 to 16, studies found that medical errors have actually increased and more residents report feeling less prepared for their duties. This finding was a surprise to many experts, leaving them to ask why fewer hours lead to more medical errors?

Drug shortages increase risk of medication errors

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello on Tuesday, March 26, 2013.

Drug shortages in hospitals can lead to very dangerous risks for patients, including an increased risk of medication errors, according to a new study. Drug shortages can cause delays or changes to patient treatments and also result in higher costs for hospitals.

The study found that drug shortages can also increase the risk of medication errors for hospital patients. Researchers reported that 16 percent of potential medical errors were caused by drug shortages and six percent of medication errors were attributed to drug shortages in hospitals.

Sponges left inside surgery patients despite new technology

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Surgical Errors on Thursday, March 21, 2013.

Every year, thousands of patients suffer after surgeons leave items in their bodies. Leaving surgical items in a patient's body is known as a retained surgical item and it can be very dangerous for patients.

The most common type of retained surgical item left inside a patient's body after surgery are cotton sponges that surgeons use during the operation to soak up blood. These sponges are supposed to be removed before closing up the body but unfortunately, sometimes the sponges are left behind without the patient or surgeon knowing until the patient's health is effected months or years later.

Physicians held responsible for prescription drug overdoses

On behalf of Gerald Chiariello II of Chiariello & Chiariello posted in Doctor Errors on Tuesday, March 12, 2013.

Medical malpractice cases often involve a patient who was improperly treated or diagnosed by a medical professional. While many of these cases may become apparent shortly after a person is in a clinic or hospital, others may arise months later. For instance one young man's life changed significantly because of an incident that took place at his home, though his family filed a lawsuit against his physician.

The young man was taking an antidepressant prescribed by a psychiatrist and was also taking a narcotic that had been prescribed by another physician. The psychiatrist reportedly did not know the young man was also taking a narcotic. While he was taking these drugs, this young man then attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself down the stairs of his home. He broke his neck when he threw himself down the stairs.

Queens NY Medical Malpractice Law Blog