A new study shows that although an overwhelming majority of doctors believe they should report colleagues who make serious medical errors or otherwise violate professional standards, most do not actually do so. This hesitance to report colleagues is understandable. But it makes detecting, tracking and studying medical error very difficult. The senior author of the….
Continue ReadingMedical Error
Hospital Commits 3rd Brain Surgery on the Wrong Side of the Head
Rhode Island Hospital has, for the third time this year, done a brain surgery on the wrong side of the patient’s head. The hospital has been fined $50,000 and has received a reprimand from the state Department of Health. In this most recent instance, the patient was 82 years old. Fortunately, the patient was unhurt….
Continue ReadingHelen Haskell Interview
Imagine having to go to the hospital tomorrow for a procedure that the doctors tell you is simple and practically risk-free. You’re not worried. Your loved ones are not worried. The trouble is, the procedure ends up killing you. Through some mistake or miscommunication or broken link in the healthcare system, you die while receiving….
Continue ReadingProtecting Yourself from Medical Errors
Patients often want to know what they can do for themselves to prevent medical errors. Often they feel helpless, ignorant and confused when they are seeking health care. Thanks in part to the Internet, there are now sources that remedy this situation by providing information and helpful suggestions. Many of these various suggestions boil down….
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