New Jersey readers may be aware of the problems the VA health care system has had in recent months. Many active duty military members and veterans are not getting the quality of medical care that they would expect from the VA. A case of hospital negligence at a VA medical center in another state recently resulted in an $8.3 million award for a veteran and his wife following a botched surgery.
New procedure could reduce the failure to diagnose cancer
One of the primary ways that cancer is diagnosed is through a lengthy and expensive procedure to analyze the lubricant naturally formed by the lungs while breathing. It is called pleural fluid. Unfortunately, the technique is also not as accurate as it could be and runs the risk of errors. A new technique being developed by researchers could reduce the failure to diagnose cancer and get treatment started as soon as possible.
Ignored jaundice leads to $26 million award for child
A six-year-old boy was awarded $26 million in a medical malpractice suit brought by his mother against doctors at the hospital where he was born. The boy cannot speak and requires round-the-clock medical care since doctors discharged him when he had contracted jaundice.
Should colleagues report doctor errors?
When a mistake happens in a hospital setting the consequences can be extremely serious, ranging from a bodily injury to a potential fatality. Among medical professionals this is a worst case scenario, but unfortunately it does still happen from time to time. One major issues surrounding hospital mistakes and doctor errors is the low level of reporting and the lack of communication about mistakes that were made. Some speculate that this is for fear of liability in a civil suit, but studies have suggested that more open reporting standards actually decrease the overall level of errors that result in an injury or death.
