USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP MINIMIZE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE MISTAKES
According to many different research studies, medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death across the United States. Some hospitals are delving further into what causes medical malpractice and using innovative tools to help prevent it in the future.
Unfortunately, far too many patients suffer devastating or even fatal injuries as a result of medical malpractice.
Basics of Medical Malpractice
There are many different kinds of hospital liability that can present as medical malpractice. Doctors and hospitals must retain extensive medical malpractice insurance to cover the risks because hospital and doctor negligence is on the rise and is a leading form of personal injuries today.
Sometimes, a patient does not realize that he or she has suffered medical malpractice until days or weeks afterwards. If a doctor does not act with the appropriate professional standards then a patient might pursue a malpractice claim.
If you have recently lost a loved one due to medical malpractice, you and other family members might consider filing a wrongful death claim for medical malpractice.
Hiring the right Maryland malpractice lawyer can help you determine your next steps and protect your financial future after the preventable loss of a loved one.
Hospitals Realize Liability Exposure
The surge of medical malpractice cases reported has led some hospitals to realize their exposure to liability and to work hard on innovative technology programs that can help to reduce these instances.
The newest is called innovative surveillance technology. This can help to avoid major surgical mistakes like leaving instruments inside a patient or operating on the wrong body part.
Many hospitals have tracked malpractice case data on paper and in the computer, but new technology may allow more immediate capture for data that can be reviewed in reports to prevent future malpractice events. Understanding where a hospital falls short can be crucial for minimizing the costs associated with a malpractice event. The right lawyer can make a difference in the outcome of your case.
How Technology is Used to Capture Data and Prevent Malpractice
Cameras are used in several hospitals, making several hospitals deploying the surveillance technology by using one camera in each operating room. The cameras keep an eye and integrate with the surgical team’s checklist to ensure that the right patient is being operated on and that the right procedure is being performed.
The video from every operating room is live streamed and monitored by someone outside the facility and an alert is sent immediately allowing doctors to rectify the situation sooner rather than later. This can also allow for positive data collection to be used to identify the most popular situations where medical malpractice occurs within each hospital’s sites.
What One Program Shows so Far
According to one hospital that has deployed the surveillance technology in New York, full safety compliance within the facility increased to 90% from 25%. The purpose of the cameras is to reward following procedures rather than punishing employees, so faces on the video screens are blurred so that individuals cannot be identified.
The company that has developed this technology also reports that individuals on the camera tend to compete with one another for higher and higher accuracy, encouraging everyone in the hospital to
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is still all too common as any victim can attest. Discovering too late that medical malpractice has occurred could lead to costly medical bills, future treatments that might have otherwise been unnecessary and a painful recovery period.
Some of the most common instances of medical malpractice include:
- Misdiagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis
- Prescription drug errors
- Surgical errors
Other technology in the medical field that could help to reduce or eliminate medical malpractice occurrences is electronic health records.
Don’t Wait! Call a Medical Malpractice Lawyer about Your Case
Since electronic health records capture data about every individual patient and are stored in the computer system, a doctor may be more likely to see a condition or drug counterindication that could prevent devastating medical malpractice.
If you have already been a victim of medical malpractice in Maryland, you need to consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney immediately.