WHAT CAN DOCTORS DO TO PREVENT MEDICAL MALPRACTICE?
Medical malpractice, or any situation in which a doctor’s negligent behavior leads to injuries for the patient, can lead to significant trauma and costly treatments for the victim. A victim’s only recourse may be to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in order to recover damages.
While no amount of money can compensate a victim for his or her injuries, a lawsuit may be critical for allowing the victim to focus on recovery and moving on from such an unfortunate incident. Knowing where to turn after a medical malpractice incident is key.
This is often the basis of a medical malpractice lawsuit in Baltimore. Since far too many cases of medical malpractice are completely preventable, the duty of preventing these cases should fall to doctors, hospitals, and managers of any healthcare facility treating patients.
It goes without saying that medical malpractice affects far too many individuals today and leaves them with life-changing injuries. In the worst possible scenarios, a victim’s medical malpractice may even sustain fatal injuries.
This can have devastating repercussions for a victim who survives as well as the family members who take care of him or her or the family members of someone who has passed away as a result of medical malpractice. The most devastating reality about many cases of medical malpractice is that they are largely preventable.
Doctors have a responsibility to exercise the proper standard of care when working with patients in any capacity. When a doctor fails to do this, he or she could be held accountable in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
In addition to the damages sustained by someone who has suffered in a medical malpractice situation, it is very costly for a doctor to go through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
He or she may be facing higher insurance rates, problems with their employer, and of course, the stress of going through a medical malpractice lawsuit. What follows are several things that doctors can do in order to prevent medical malpractice.
Have Clear Guidelines for Patient Care
This is especially important for any physician who runs his or her own office or works within a partnership of other doctors. Having high-quality standards across the board immediately decreases the potential for a medical malpractice situation. Making sure that every doctor is committed to the same quality of care can help increase positive patient outcomes as well.
Stress the Importance of Accurate Details on Behalf of Staff
Hiring a new staff member in a medical office should initiate a training protocol. Staff members should be clear about asking for clarification when a doctor’s written or verbal instructions are not clear, for example.
Staff should also be instructed about properly notating materials and sharing it. Many of the most common mistakes associated with prescription errors, for example, are as a result of a miscommunication or misunderstanding about a doctor’s instructions.
Having all staff be on the same page and committing to training each one of these new individuals as they join the team can go a long way towards minimizing challenges and problems.
Getting Enough Sleep and Maintaining Focus
A doctor’s job can be extremely stressful, but to the extent to which a doctor can maintain focus and get adequate sleep, he or she will dramatically decrease their chances of being involved in a medical malpractice event.
Proper sleep and focus are critical for approaching every single patient as a new opportunity to clarify the patient’s problems and determine an appropriate course of action.
Being distracted or tired, on the other hand, put additional stress on the physician and can increase the chances of small mistakes. When it comes to small mistakes in the medical field, these can have unfortunate implications for a victim.
Get Help from Medical Malpractice Attorney at Maryland Today
All of these steps can be taken on behalf of doctors to help prevent medical malpractice. When medical malpractice does happen, it can initiate a legal case and add additional stress for the physician.
This is to say nothing of the repercussions experienced by a patient who is suffering after a medical malpractice event. Everyone should get on the same page in order to make a commitment to decreasing the incidence of medical malpractice today.