When it comes to healthcare, doctors are the experts. But when it comes to patients, there are no better experts than patients themselves and their families. Therefore, it stands to reason that doctors and hospitals could improve care by seeking input and feedback from those they treat. As some hospitals attempt to reduce errors, prevent incidents of medical malpractice and generally improve care, patient/family engagement is one of the strategies being tested. And the engagement is not simply limited to seeking feedback about the colors of the hospital’s walls or the quality of food served in the cafeteria. […]

The Golden State is one of the top ten largest economies in the world. It boasts incredible beaches, picturesque mountains, booming industry and a lively political atmosphere. There are any number of reasons why millions upon millions of people live in California and why an untold number of additional people wish that they did. However, not every aspect of life in California is rosy, even for the most educated, affluent and cultured residents of the state. A recent nationwide patient safety survey has ranked California as the seventh best state in the union in regards to the number of hospitals it boasts with favorable proactive patient [...]

We have previously discussed the prevalence of medication errors in the U.S. Some of these errors occur in pharmacies, some occur when physicians are writing out prescriptions and some occur when medications are being administered. For example, in hospital settings it can be all too easy to accidentally give a patient an incorrect dose of a medication, to miss a dose, or to administer the wrong medication altogether. Healthcare providers are human and will therefore make mistakes from time to time. If these mistakes are made while adhering to standards of care mandated by law, they may be somewhat understandable. If mistakes are made due to [...]

Over the past several years, numerous media outlets have begun reporting extensively on the causes of traumatic brain injury. A great deal of this reporting has focused on sports-related brain injury cases, for a number of reasons. First, high-profile organizations like the National Football League and the National Hockey League have been accused by their own players of withholding valuable information about the prevalence of brain injuries within their player populations. Second, a staggering number of child, teen and amateur athletes have sustained these kinds of injuries over the past several years. However, it is important to understand that significant rates of brain injury do not [...]

New parents begin to experience both hope and fear about their children’s lives before they are even born. Unfortunately, some of the events one is often most hopeful about in regards to a child’s experience become those that are marked by fear, pain and doubt. For example, many parents anxiously await the arrival of their children, sure that while the birthing process can be unquestionably painful it is ultimately a joyous event. However, when infants suffer injurious, debilitating and even fatal birth injuries, the birthing process can turn into a nightmare. The range of birth-related injuries that infants may suffer varies significantly. Infants can suffer bruising [...]

If you have suffered an illness or injury which requires medical care, you may already be feeling understandably disoriented as a result of your medical condition. If you have experienced an adverse event during the course of your medical care, you may be feeling even more dazed than you otherwise might. When the trust between medical professionals and patients is broken due to mistakes on the part of medical personnel, the fallout can be uniquely jarring. As a result, you may not feel qualified to make certain decisions about how you will ultimately respond to the harm that you are now suffering as a result of [...]

During a recent hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, a serious patient safety allegation was raised by a panel of respected leaders on this very subject. This panel asserted that over the past 15 years, patient safety advances have been inconsistent, limited and sporadic in nature. Specifically, the panel noted that since the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s “To Err is Human” 15 years ago, patients continue to die and to sustain serious injuries due to preventable medical errors at devastating rates. Many hospital administrators take issue with this pronouncement. According to Modern Healthcare, numerous hospital groups contend that patient safety [...]

According to a poll recently conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 22 percent of respondents are confident that they can successfully research and compare the quality of healthcare providers in their area. This poll confirms that Americans feel that due to their own limitations, due to limited resources or both, it is difficult to find and compare the quality of care that physicians provide. We frequently write about the ways in which patient empowerment aids in ensuring patient safety. After all, if patients are aware that one physician has a checkered history of medical malpractice and another has a spotless patient [...]