New York residents may be surprised to learn that 12,000 people died in 2014 while undergoing unnecessary surgical procedures and a further 7,000 deaths were caused by medication errors. Medical mistakes and hospital negligence lead to approximately 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits being filed every year. Some hospitals are adding extra layers of oversight and implementing stricter safety protocols to both protect patients and avoid lawsuits.
New York residents may be surprised to learn that 12,000 people died in 2014 while undergoing unnecessary surgical procedures and a further 7,000 deaths were caused by medication errors. Medical mistakes and hospital negligence lead to approximately 85,000 medical malpractice lawsuits being filed every year. Some hospitals are adding extra layers of oversight and implementing stricter safety protocols to both protect patients and avoid lawsuits.
Efforts to reduce surgical errors often involve bringing in a third party unaffiliated with the hospital to speak with patients after they have undergone a procedure. The information provided can be analyzed by medical teams, which can then identify procedural errors or shortcuts. Comparing the answers given by several patients could yield patterns of behavior that lead to mistakes. This information could also be provided to doctors when a patient’s condition deteriorates unexpectedly.
Medication errors present hospitals with a challenge. Prescription drugs are generally controlled tightly in hospitals, and there is no guarantee that additional security measures would make a great deal of difference. Many medication errors are blamed on overworked and fatigued nurses and doctors. To counter this, some hospitals have assigned individuals to keep an eye on the workloads placed on medical personnel.
New York City is home to some of the nation’s most respected medical facilities, but mistakes occur even in renowned hospitals. Victims of medical errors and hospital negligence may pursue civil remedies, and a medical malpractice attorney could file a lawsuit on their behalf. A lawyer with experience in this area may encourage defendants to accept a settlement by bringing in medical experts to scrutinize hospital records.
