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Poor Communication Between Doctors and Patients

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Many people suffer preventable injuries because of the negligence of their doctor, nurse or other health care professional. Medical negligence can result in life-altering or life ending injuries, which may require extensive or lifelong treatment. While medical malpractice victims have the option to recover compensation for damages, it is important to know the root cause of this negligence. Are doctors being improperly trained? Are nurses being overworked? Does the hospital provide inadequate support?

According to a report from CRICO Strategies, communication failures were a factor in 30 percent of the malpractice cases they examined. Nationwide, this miscommunication resulted in nearly 2,000 deaths. In one instance, a nurse failed to tell a surgeon that a patient experienced abdominal pain and had a drop in the level of red blood cells after an operation, which are typically signs of internal bleeding. The information was ignored and the patient later died of a hemorrhage. In another case, an Emergency Room physician failed to mention to a radiologist the fact that the patient had several symptoms (e.g. the inability to use the bathroom) which might have led to a life-altering diagnosis, as opposed to a failure to diagnose the neurologic emergency that was eventually recognized.

It’s common knowledge that hospitals and doctor’s offices are busy, bustling places, but that doesn’t excuse a doctor from failing to share critical patient information or administering the wrong medication. Poor communication in hospitals and clinics creates a danger for the entire facility. And, when injury and death occur, it can constitute medical negligence or medical malpractice.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of medical malpractice, contact our Louisville medical malpractice lawyer at Brett H. Oppenheimer, PLLC today. Brett Oppenheimer has decades of experience fighting for individuals who have suffered serious injuries due to the negligence of others. You may have the legal right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, loss of wages and pain and suffering.

Contact Brett Oppenheimer today to learn more about your legal rights and options.

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