For many families, Tamarac medical malpractice legal claims result from catastrophic mistakes and negligence in health care settings. From Tamarac birth injuries to misdiagnoses and medication mix-ups, these healthcare setting mistakes can result in a lifetime of injury, serious financial distress, and even fatalities. In many cases, medical mix-ups and mistakes can be prevented. Ideally, healthcare facilities, clinics, and hospitals should have policies in place to help protect patients. However, experts agree that there are several things that patients can do to reduce their risk of Tamarac personal injury resulting from medical mistakes and negligence in a healthcare setting:
1) Have a good medical support team. Working with qualified health care practitioners can help improve your chances of success in a healthcare setting. It is a good idea to carefully research and consider who you want your general practitioner or family doctor to be. One doctor who oversees your overall health care and becomes familiar with your health conditions and situation is a powerful advocate for you in any healthcare setting.
2) Avoid situations where medical malpractice is more likely. Mistakes and recklessness are more likely in settings where there is understaffing, poor policies in place, and a rushed environment. Avoiding clinics, hospitals, not their health care settings during the evenings and during weekend rushes is one way to avoid medical mistakes. Of course, if you have a medical emergency you may not be able to choose when you seek medical care. However, choosing your clinics, hospitals, and healthcare practitioners when possible may reduce the risk that you will be affected by a medical mistake.
3) Visit with a friend. Visiting a healthcare practitioner can be stressful, especially if you’re dealing with a medical emergency or a chronic condition. Bringing along a friend or family member to your appointment can ensure that the two of you can ask questions about your condition, clarify information, and remember more about the appointment after the fact. Having a healthcare advocate is also important as it provides you with emotional support while you deal with healthcare issues.
4) Keep written track of instructions and details about your condition. If a doctor explains a medical condition, concept, or medication or treatment option to you, consider asking them to write it down. Get a copy of test results or write down information yourself and ask the doctor to verify the information. Often, in the doctor-patient relationship a lot of information is exchanged and patients afterwards may only remember a small portion of what a doctor has told them. Keeping written track of information can help you remember more.
5) Ask questions and verify information with each healthcare practitioner who comes into contact with you. Asking questions about dosages, medication, treatments, and your condition is important. When speaking with a nurse or new healthcare practitioner, you may also wish to quickly verify dosages, any medications you’re on, any allergies or pre-existing conditions, and any other information related to your condition. In some cases, Tamarac misdiagnoses and medication errors occur simply because a new healthcare practitioner does not adequately review the information. Asking doctors to review the information with you may help prevent this type of mistake.
Even if you do your best, it is possible that a healthcare practitioner’s recklessness or negligence may negatively affect your health. If this happens to you, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free, no obligation case evaluation to discuss your situation with a qualified personal injury attorney.