New Jersey Medical Malpractice Law Blog

When it comes healthcare, it is important for patients to be aware of what is going on from a treatment perspective. However, too often patients shy away from questioning their healthcare providers, and blindly accept their doctor's decision. To prevent medical errors or mistakes from occurring, it is now becoming important for patients to always have a family member, friend or a professional advocate present to take notes and ask questions.

Our New Jersey readers will find it helpful to keep the following tips in mind when visiting a doctor or accompanying a family member or friend to the hospital. It may seem like a minor point, but it is important for the patient to know the name of the doctor. All patients have a right to review their medical records, be informed about the treatment or procedure one is about to receive and understand the risks involved. The patient may also authorize their advocate to see the records.

New Jersey residents will find it interesting to learn that a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that hospitals may profit from the surgical errors and mistakes they make.

The study examined records of over 34,000 surgical patients in 2010 at one hospital run by Texas Health Resources, which is a large nonprofit hospital system. About 1,820 of those patients suffered from one or more preventable complications such as a blood clot, pneumonia or infected incisions. As a result of the complications, the patients' median length of stay quadrupled to 14 days and on average, gave the hospital revenue of $30,500 more than for patients without complications. Further, patients on Medicare and Medicaid or those who paid out of pocket paid far less than what private insurers paid.

Access to healthcare is important for the well-being of any person. Most visit doctors for preventive care, urgent health matters or the management of chronic diseases. When offering services, hospitals are required to comply with various patient safety and health regulations and they are required to maintain a hygienic and sanitary environment. When a patient is seriously harmed because of a negligent doctor or conditions at a hospital, it may help to contact medical malpractice attorney.

New Jersey residents may be aware of the national story surrounding a Philadelphia doctor who is now facing capital murder charges in connection with the death of a woman patient and the deaths of seven babies who were allegedly born alive. The doctor apparently performed abortions in unhygienic conditions. When authorities raided his clinic in 2010, they found blood on the floor, smelled urine in the clinic and found a flea infested cat wandering in the facility. A 22-year-old woman allegedly died of sepsis and infection after a procedure performed by the doctor at this clinic. The doctor claims that he is being unfairly held to standards one might expect at the Mayo Clinic.

Anyone who has seen ER or Grey's Anatomy knows that doctors often work long hours. While the practice may be common, there is concern among some safety advocates that fatigue contributes to unnecessary and preventable medical errors. In fact, a number of studies conducted over the last several decades suggest that sleep deprivation can lead serious surgical errors. The news has some advocates calling for duty hour regulations.

According to a 1998 study, surgical resident who remained awake all night made 20 percent more mistakes during surgery and took nearly 15 percent longer to complete surgical tasks than those who slept. In support of these findings, a 2012 study published in the Archives of Surgery found that the average sleep deprived surgical resident was functioning at less than 80 percent of their mental capacity for approximately half of the time that they were awake.