Robotic surgical systems have recently come under scrutiny after many patients have suffered poor outcomes. Lawsuits allege that surgeons, hospitals and robotic device manufacturers, such as Intuitive Surgical, Inc., all bear blame for botched procedures. Fortunately,...
Year: 2013
Unsterile Endoscopes Not Only Disgusting, But Deadly
A colonoscopy, gastroscopy or duodenoscopy isn't on anyone's list of favorite things to do, but every year 15 to 20 million patients go through these uncomfortable procedures for the positive impact on their health. Disturbingly, a new medical study reveals that it's...
Despite Rising Demand, Emergency Rooms Becoming More Scarce
Approximately 20 percent of Americans visited an emergency room (ER) in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There were a total of 130 million visits to ERs in 2011, a 33-million visit increase from 1995. Despite the rise in need,...
Women Disproportionately Injured By Medical Devices
The American Association for Justice (AAJ) recently analyzed the history of women's medical products and found that women are disproportionately harmed by devices. The research is particularly unsettling because women in the modern era seem just as likely to be harmed...
Medical Malpractice Suits Spur Safer Hospitals, Clinics
Medical malpractice lawsuits provide accountability for medical errors and allow injured patients to recover compensation. However, another benefit of malpractice suits has been overlooked: the improved safety of American health care. More than 95 percent of hospitals...
Johns Hopkins: Malpractice Suits Not Cause Of Costly Healthcare
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recently completed a study that supports what medical malpractice attorneys have been saying for decades: malpractice lawsuits are not the cause of soaring healthcare costs. Researchers found that huge medical malpractice...
Study: Diagnosis Errors Are No. 1 Reason For Malpractice Payouts
Diagnosis errors account for more than 35 percent of all medical malpractice claim payouts, according to a study published by BMJ Quality and Safety. In malpractice suits involving wrongful death of the patient, a diagnosis mistake was involved 41 percent of the time....
Family Wins $700K Wrongful Death Award Against Nursing Home
In 2009, a nursing home resident was rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life. Acting on limited information, the hospital staff attempted to treat the 46-year-old for a heart attack, but he died soon after. Postmortem toxicology tests revealed that the man did...
JAMA Study: Surgery Errors Boost Hospital Profits
A comprehensive medical study found that U.S. hospitals increase their profit margins when patients suffer surgery errors or complications. The research examined the cases of nearly 35,000 surgery patients and found that those with private insurance who suffered...
NIH Study Risked Lives Of 1,316 Babies Between 2005 and 2009
An unconscionable study risked the lives and health of more than 1,300 babies without their parents' knowledge. The trial, known as the SUPPORT study, provided varying levels of oxygen to prematurely born infants and measured the effects. The government-funded study...