Articles Posted in Medical Malpractice

A recent study analyzed 147 medical malpractice claims related to Electronic Health Record (EHR) issues and identified that incorrect data entry in the EHR, inconsistency between paper and electronic records as well as system failures were contributing factors in close to 60% of the analyzed claims.

The study was released by CRICO, a patient safety and medical malpractice insurer for the Harvard medical community that includes more than 12,000 physicians, 22 hospitals, and 100,000-plus nurses, technicians, and other employees of Harvard-affiliated organizations. Over 30 years CRICO has built a large comparative database and developed specific tools to analyze medical malpractice claims and identified specific vulnerabilities that need to be addressed by hospitasl and physicians to better protect patients from medical errors.

Recently CRICO analyzed a year’s worth of medical malpractice claims and found that 147 were related to Electronic Health Record problems. Half of these incidents of malpractice resulted in in severe personal injury for the patient. The 147 claims cost a total of $61 million in direct payments and legal expenses.

In a recent malpractice lawsuit, a New York State Supreme Court Jury, Erie County, awarded $6 million for past and future pain and suffering and $2.8 million for medical expenses and lost of wages to a man who lost his leg as the result of medical malpractice by his surgeon. His ex-wife was also awarded $350,000 for loss of services.

Donald Schultz was a 35 year old public safety dispatcher for the City of Tonawanda, NY, when he broke his ankle in 2004. After initial treatment he still felt pain on the side of his foot near the little toe and made an appointment with Dr. Michael A. Parentis at the Knee Center of WNY. Dr Parentis performed 12 surgeries on his foot and leg. He started with surgeries on the little toe then amputated it. After the patient developed an infection, the doctor also amputated the fourth toe. As the pain continued the doctor continued to operate up until July 2009 when he amputated the leg below the knee.

Read more in Buffalo news

Women are at a higher risk of a stroke than men because they have unique risk factors associated with pregnancy and the use of hormones. The guidelines from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association were the first such recommendations aimed at preventing strokes in women. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death for all Americans and a leading cause of disability. It’s the third-leading cause of death for women, after heart disease and cancer.

Read more in the Washington Post

Today Is American Heart Association National Wear Red Day, wear red to show that you support women living longer, stronger lives. Encourage your loved ones to do the same.

A recent study analysed all Medical Malpractice claims related to fires in the Operating Room that have been filed in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Database since 1985 and found that electrocauterization was responsible for 90% of the claims. The study “Operating Room Fires: A Closed Claims Analysis” was published in the Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists” and led by Dr. Karen Domino, Professor & Vice Chair for Clinical Research Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Electrocauterization or Electrocautery is a procedure that is used in surgery to burn unwanted or harmful tissues or to seal blood vessels to stop bleeding. During the procedure a surgeon uses heat conduction from a metal probe heated by electric current to burn the tissue.

The study found that most Electrocautery induced fires happen during monitored anesthesia care with open oxygen delivery for upper chest, neck and head procedures with plastic surgery procedures on the face accounting for more than half of them.