When a New York resident goes to the hospital and the doctor orders a certain treatment plan — whether it is medication, surgery or both — most just assume the doctor knows best and do not question the plan. The idea many have is the doctor is the one who went to medical school and has the experience to make the correct medical decisions for patients.
Most expecting parents imagine that the day of their child’s birth will be among the happiest of their lives. Unfortunately, some parents’ joy is interrupted by errors during birth. Although a pregnancy complication doesn’t minimize the excitement of welcoming a new family member into the world, it certainly creates a new set of concerns and anxieties for parents.
Being misdiagnosed is probably more common than many New York City residents even realize. In fact, according to the National Patient Safety Foundation, 42 percent of patients believe they have been either misdiagnosed or received a delayed diagnosis.
A father of a 6-year-old girl who almost died due to an alleged medical error said no parent should have to go through what his family did. His statement comes after the family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against not only the hospital and a pediatrics association, but also three doctors.
Depending on the condition, a missed diagnosis can lead to serious complications or even death. Knowing this, it is particularly frightening to learn that the most common cause of medical malpractice claims is due to missed diagnoses.
Women with high risk pregnancies may think bed rest is going to be a given. Not wanting to cause any more harm, their doctor is simply going to order them off of their feet. This means no working and an activity restriction. The idea is the mom-to-be needs to be staying in bed and getting plenty of rest.
Recently, a doctor who lost his leg due to a medical error spoke out about what happened to him, hoping his experience can end up making a difference and lead to a decrease in medical errors.
Bringing a baby into this world is supposed to be one of the happiest days in parents’ lives. However, when a child is injured due to medical negligence during delivery, the once joyous day can suddenly turn tragic.
A proposed monumental law for New York City patients died last week in committee. The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein, said that once she realized it was not going to get passed by the Senate, she decided to put the bill on hold.
A wrong-site surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City recently made headlines when the wrong kidney of a 76-year-old was removed. In this case, while it is unknown what caused the wrong-site surgery, it turns out wrong-site surgical errors are more common than many might realize.
