Just like hospital negligence, nursing home negligence is a serious concern for residents and their families. Patients seeking medical care are oftentimes in a vulnerable position and this can be especially true of nursing home patients and residents. Elderly, and sometimes disabled, individuals move into nursing homes and long-term care facilities entrusting their physical and mental health to these facilities and relying on the expectation that they will be well cared for. At times, however, negligent care can cause harm to victims.
How common are surgical errors?
Among patients undergoing surgery in the United States, approximately 80 times a week a surgical error occurs. Safety advocates note that the surgical errors should never happen. Surgical errors can include when surgical instruments, including sponges, are left behind in a patient during surgery; the wrong surgical procedure is performed; the wrong site on the patient is operated on; or the surgery is performed on the wrong patient altogether.
Medical malpractice resources are available for misdiagnosis
Medical misdiagnosis can have serious consequences for victims. We all place a great amount of trust and confidence in medical professionals during vulnerable periods in our lives which is why it is so serious when a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis has occurred. A misdiagnosis can have significant consequences for victims. Early diagnosis can oftentimes improve the prognosis or treatment options for a patient which is why a correct and timely diagnosis can be so important.
Medical errors a serious concern in the United States study finds
The results of a study released in 2016 found that medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States. Medical errors and doctor errors are increasingly common according to the study and result in 251,000 deaths annually or 700 deaths a day. The study in question evaluated 4 other studies in reaching its conclusions. The number of deaths attributable to medical negligence accounts for approximately 9.5 percent of all deaths in the U.S. each year.
