Of all the reasons people file orthopedic surgery medical malpractice claims, a study conducted by The Doctors Company found that the main reason is surgical mistakes. This accounted for 46 percent of claims. Another 13 percent were related to diagnoses while 16 percent concerned improper patient management. There are steps hospitals and physicians in…
In the last few years, the importance of early screening for breast cancer has been called into question. This is partially due to a retrospective study from a few years ago that indicated improved outcomes are attributable to better treatment instead of earlier detection. However, a new study shows that early identification is probably…
It has been estimated that as many as 12 percent of patients have adverse events in hospitals, and about 50 percent are surgery-related incidents. Ohio patients should know that an adverse event could involve preventable infection, wrong-site surgery, drug mistakes, instruments or swabs left in the body, and it could prove fatal. Non-technical facets…
While doctors do their best to properly diagnose their patients, misdiagnoses of cancer are fairly common in Ohio and around the country. A study found that doctors themselves thought the misdiagnosis rate for cancer was no higher than 10 percent, while another study found that incorrect information regarding cancer diagnoses is given 28 percent…
As some Ohio residents know, many patients die yearly around the country due to doctor error. Mistakes such as operating on the wrong site or the wrong patient as well as prescription error all have a part to play. Approximately 5 to 15 percent of the deaths are caused by a misdiagnosis. There are…
According to research conducted at Temple University, markets in which the ride-sharing service Uber is allowed to compete see lower rates of DUI fatalities. Specifically, markets served by Uber X in California between 2009 and 2014 saw a 3.6 to 5.6 percent reduction in DUI deaths. Assuming a national average of 13,000 deaths a…
Ohio residents with some degree of brain injury may be interested to learn that experts are warning against overdiagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury. Overdiagnosis in general is a problem with many different diseases. While it would seem intuitive that diagnosing a disease as early as possible is the most desirable outcome, early diagnosis…
Residents of Ohio may know that a report was recently issued on mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes. This disease, known as MELAS, can mimic a stroke, and individuals who suffer from such episodes may be wrongly diagnosed. MELAS is a genetic disease involving tiny organelles called mitochondria. These organelles help produce…
As Ohio residents may know, thyroid problems may cause a wide range of symptoms that are easily controlled with medication. Misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of an underactive thyroid may impact an individual’s life adversely. However, because thyroid problems are more prevalent in women, it may be more difficult for a man to get a correct…
Imagine if the U.S. could reduce traffic fatalities by a third. With car crashes representing one of the deadliest threats to the country, virtually everybody would agree that this would be a major safety improvement. This would happen, if we can somehow eliminate drinking and driving, according to Medical Daily. An article on the…