I am a medical malpractice attorney. Here are the three things you should do every time you visit the hospital
A medical malpractice attorney has offered three tips to help people get the best care possible the next time they go to a hospital.
Tom Bosworth’s video posted five days ago has since emerged earned more than 31,000 views and dozens of comments from health professionals who endorsed his advice.
These are: never go to the hospital without a witness, always know who the attending physician is, and ensure that physicians communicate their plan of care.
Taking a friend or family member to the hospital means having a witness if things go wrong – misdiagnosed, wrong medicine given, etc. – and the person who goes along could be the victim of the accident. supporting the patient due to medical malpractice or simply better communication with doctors and nurses.
“It’s always good to have someone there,” he said.
Knowing the doctor in charge – the treating doctor – is also crucial to ensure you get the best possible care.
Often patients are treated by local physicians who are physicians but are still in training and not yet certified to practice medicine unsupervised.
He added that doctors and nurses should be upfront about what their diagnosis is, about the types of interventions doctors will undertake, whether it’s a course of antibiotics or blood tests, and if not, patients should speak up speak up and demand answers.
“So you have to be your own advocate and figure that out,” he said.
Tom Bosworth’s advice is to never go to the hospital without a lawyer, always know who the treating doctor is and make sure doctors communicate their care plan
Medical errors, such as incorrect diagnosis or medication dosing, are estimated to kill 200,000 Americans or more each year, and harm approximately 400,000 people annually.
They also lead to thousands of medical malpractice claims filed every year.
He said, “I know you don’t always have that power, but if you can take someone with you, you need a witness in case something happens and the doctors deny what you say happened.”
A witness may have to testify or be deposed in a case, and this lends validity to the patient’s testimony.
A common problem, according to both nurses and patients, is that doctors often do not communicate effectively with patients, especially when it comes to discussing the type of treatment they plan to pursue.
Withholding a treatment plan can also erode the trust between the patient, his/her attorney and the doctor.
This can be very disturbing for patients and their advocates. Without fully knowing the course of treatment, patients cannot give informed consent, an ethical foundation of medicine.
Mr. Bosworth, who specializes in medical malpractice and personal injury, practices in Philadelphia.
His video has generated nearly a hundred comments, with one saying, “That just happened to me in the emergency room.
‘I fainted because I was dehydrated and the nurse wrote in my notes that I had my head in the toilet. Luckily my sister-in-law was with me.’
Mr. Bosworth, who specializes in medical malpractice and personal injury, practices in Philadelphia
Medical errors, such as incorrect diagnosis or medication dosing, kill an estimated 200,000 or more Americans every year
Another commenter said: ‘They gave me almost a double dose of strong painkillers, an hour and a half apart. Luckily I caught it. My tip: text the time and dose of all medications, so that someone else knows too.’
And a third said: ‘As a former ER nurse, former medical attorney and current medical attorney, I agree with this advice.’
Although residents may not be fully qualified yet, there are some benefits to treating them.
Having two medical experts to weigh in, including one who is fully trained and who can correct diagnostics and treatment plans when necessary, can help in dealing with a particularly difficult case.