Netflix recently released a documentary, called The Bleeding Edge, which exposes some aspects of the medical device industry. The main purpose of the film was to call out the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for being lax about what devices hit the U.S. market. Doctors and patients alike participated in highly-personal interviews, describing their frightening and sometimes devastating experiences.
Is Your Doctor Banned from Practicing in Other States?
A new investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reveals at least 500 physicians have been publicly disciplined, chastised or barred from practicing by one state medical board who have been allowed to practice elsewhere with a clean license. Because of the way state medical licensing works, a doctor can easily run into trouble in one state and simply move his practice to another state to avoid discipline.
Jefferson County Medical Malpractice Verdict
A Jefferson County jury today returned a verdict in favor of a 26 year old disabled woman who died unnecessarily in 2012 after St. Vincent's Hospital East failed to call her critical labs directly to her physician, as its own written policy required in 2012.
Court Slaps Doctor Who Destroyed Medical Records
In an important decision for patients who have been injured or killed by medical malpractice, the highest court in New York has held that it will not tolerate the act of altering and destroying records to avoid liability.
Deaths of new mothers rising in the U.S.
In the U.S., pregnant women and women who have just given birth are at higher risk for injury and death than women in any developed country. Our country's annual mortality rate for pregnant women is 700 to 900, while an additional 65,000 pregnant women develop near-fatal illnesses and injuries.
Is your doctor right about your diagnosis?
Whether you are a patient or the loved one of a sick family member, you put your trust in medical professionals to determine what's wrong - and fix it. Unfortunately, it's far too common for errors to occur during the diagnostic phase of designing a treatment plan. These errors could be caused by faulty equipment, miscommunication or negligence. Sadly, what might seem like a simple error might ultimately prove fatal.
Medical Error: Third Leading Cause of Death
Medical error kills more people in the United States than accidents, strokes, Alzheimer's disease or suicide. Yet medical error is rarely talked about in those terms and as a result, doesn't get the public attention it deserves.
The dangers of falls in hospitals and nursing homes
U.S. hospitals are the scene of between 700,000 to one million falls each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Patient falls can be very dangerous, and hospitals need to do more to prevent them.
Many parents don't realize the costs of raising a child with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is a birth injury caused by partial oxygen deprivation to the brain of the fetus. It can be the result of medical malpractice at numerous points during the birthing process. While the financial cost of raising the child is not a parent's first thought after a birth injury, it is, unfortunately, something they must consider.
Medical Malpractice: By The Numbers
Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are killed or injured by avoidable medical errors. And yet, very few injured patients file medical malpractice lawsuits.
