In our last post, we began speaking about the risks associated with the Fentanyl spray Subsys and the fact that it is often prescribed for off-label uses, some of which are actually contraindicated by the manufacturer. Because of the toxicity of the drug, as well as...
Year: 2015
Doctors have responsibilities in prescribing risky drugs, P.1
Physicians have a big responsibility when it comes to the promotion and prescription of medications for the benefit of their patients. Because of the way medical care is delivered, patients rely on their doctors to recommend the most beneficial course of treatment,...
Study looks at relative risks of vaginal and Cesarean breach delivery
Childbirth, though a very natural process, can involve various risks for both the baby and the mother. The desirability of managing these risks, of course, is why most women choose to deliver in hospitals with the help of skilled nurses and doctors rather than at...
Government-run physician tracking database useless, in many cases
A federal database designed to help Americans better track the performance of physicians contains so many accuracies that it cannot be considered reliable. The database, which is run by the federal Centers for Medicine for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is supposed...
Patients seek relief in cases against unethical Michigan doctor, P.2
Last time, we spoke about the conviction of former hematologist and oncologist Farid Fata in Michigan for defrauding patients. As we noted, Fata is facing potential civil liability for his misdeeds, but plaintiffs do face challenges in seeking relief from the...
Patients seek relief in cases against unethical Michigan doctor, P.1
When we talk about medical malpractice on this blog and in general, we are very often speaking about decent doctors who, for one reason or another, had a lapse of judgment and made a mistake that ended up harming a patient. In some medical malpractice cases, a...
Study: preventable surgical errors are rare, but causes remain unclear
Although we live in a country that offers some of the best health care services in the world, many of us don’t think too much about the possibility that we could be injured by our doctors. Mistakes in medical care do happen, though. In some cases, mistakes are...
Transparency in health care and patient compensation
A recent article on the blog Health Affairs made an important point about the current situation with the health care system when it comes to dealing with medical errors: transparency can significantly improve the outcome of cases in which medical errors occur, even...
Limitation on birth injury claims lifted by Court of Appeals
Birth injuries are devastating for parents, as anybody who has been through such an experience can tell you. The frustration can be particularly great in cases where birth injury is caused by medical malpractice. For those who have a strong enough case, there may be...
Patient engagement doesn’t negate physicians’ responsibility
Increasingly, health systems across the United States are moving toward an approach which aims to increase patients' involvement in their own care. The idea is that patients who take ownership of their treatment through deeper engagement can help improve their own...