The Factor of Trust in Medical Malpractice

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According to research carried out by the Department of Medicine, University of Florida, the patients and families who had been injured due to medical errors felt that a lack of accountability and poor communication from their healthcare providers resulted in the incident of medical malpractice. It is important to point out that in the U.S., some doctors are sued for medical malpractice more frequently than others.

There are other studies which confirm that patients who felt that their doctors were responsible for their injuries due to insufficient communication were more likely to file for a lawsuit. Even more so, patients who were in the care of doctors who had a history of malpractice claims were more likely to report that their treatment felt “rushed” which ultimately led to their injuries and the consultation with a medical malpractice lawyer in NYC. In both these scenarios regarding medical malpractice, poor communication is the common complaint that patients have with their doctors.

Laws Regarding Apologies

US States, such as Oklahoma have come up with new laws that encourage a better culture within the field of healthcare. For that, the State has adopted an ‘Apology Law’ that makes it easier for physicians to speak with patients openly without feeling the need to withhold information. The legislation also allows medical staff to apologize to their patients without having the fear of that apology being used in court. Under this new legislation, the apologies of medical staff will be inadmissible as evidence in the court, or as evidence of liability. Back in 2012, Presence Health, a Chicago-based chain of hospitals started holding discussions where the issues in healthcare were talked about. During these meetings, medical professionals such as doctors and nurses were asked to come up with viable solutions that could quickly be implemented for the safety of patients in medical healthcare facilities across the US.

While this was a welcome effort, there are still many hospitals and medical health care facilities that are reluctant to making these kind of bold reforms in fear of retribution by the patients and having to deal with a medical malpractice attorney in NY. Apart from that, adopting new changes and encouraging new programs such as the one carried out by Presence Health takes constant work and would be a difficult task since it challenges the status quo of an entire hospital system.

That being said, it is without a doubt that improved communication between doctors and their patients would drastically improve the current situation of medical care in the US. It will also provide a glimpse into the challenges of medical experts and give patients a better understanding of their health care. But, there are times when certain cases leave a patient and their family so devastated that they have no choice but to file for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions on this subject below.

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