Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. blog

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Basic Medical Errors Cause Most Medical Malpractice Claims

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in October 2006 confirms what most of us who handle malpractice claims have long known. Basic medical errors, such as failure to order proper tests and failure to do adequate follow-up, are the most frequent causes of medical malpractice in this country. Many of the cases in the study involved errors in diagnosis and treatment of cancer which had catastrophic consequences for the patients and their families. As the lead author noted, use of electronic records or better decision-trees for evaluation and treatment would help eliminate many of these errors. We couldn't agree more. Every medical office and hospital should review and implement these recommendations.

posted by Attorney Frank Ashton at 7:27 AM