Medical Malpractice

• Doctors Let Skills Slide

  Glenn Phillips | December 04, 2007 10:12 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  While most of the doctors agreed they needed to keep up with changes in the profession and have their competence reviewed, only 31 percent had undergone a competency review in the past three years. Dr. James Thompson, chief executive officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards, said one problem may be that doctors know there is not much that can be done to help doctors who are struggling...

• Mistakes in Surgeries

  Glenn Phillips | October 23, 2007 8:23 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Over the past year, hospitals in Washington left "foreign objects" in 36 surgery patients. And 21 people got surgery on the wrong body parts. Hospitals have reported such "adverse events" to the state Department of Health since 2000, also including performing surgery on the wrong patient, and medication errors that can kill or seriously harm patients. But now the Washington State Hospital...

• Fentora, A Dangerous Drug

  Glenn Phillips | September 25, 2007 10:55 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Fentanyl, a highly addictive drug that is 80 times more potent than morphine. Now, the company that makes a Fentanyl-based painkiller called Fentora is warning doctors about the proper way to prescribe it, following the deaths of four people who took the drug. According to news reports there of those deaths were due to so-called "off-label" usage, meaning doctors prescribed the drug to treat...

• In a Poll Voters Are Not Concerned About The Tort Reform

  Glenn Phillips | July 24, 2007 9:37 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  In Washington, D.C. the organization known as the American Trial Lawyers Association stated with the civil justice reforms, that the pro-business groups are pushing voters to not register, these are the results that were released after a poll was recently conducted.At a press conference in the National Press Club building, the American Association for Justice, formerly the ATLA, offered proof in...

• In Medical Malpractice Cases, Frivolous Litigation Is Unlikely

  Glenn Phillips | July 23, 2007 9:26 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Frivolous litigation does not block up the court system along with frivolous lawsuits are not a major provider on the rising of the malpractic insurance cost, according to investigators here.Claims were reviewed by board-certified physicians, fellows or final year surgical residents. The claims were reviewed for adverse outcome as well as for medical error, which was defined using this...

• After Making Medical Errors, Seattle Doctor's Suffer Too

  Glenn Phillips | July 20, 2007 10:45 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Doctor's among Seattle are often having sleeping problems, suffering from stress, and are loosing their confidence that is caused by making medical errors.Patients are not the only ones harmed by medical errors, according to a survey that found many doctors who make mistakes -- and even those who come close -- suffer stress, sleep problems and loss of confidence.The survey involved 3,171 doctors...

• In The U.S. Medical Error is The Fifth-Leading Cause of Death

  Glenn Phillips | July 18, 2007 10:27 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  There are up to 98,000 death's a year due to Medical errors that leads to the fifth-leading causes of death in the United States. "Medical errors in the healthcare system arise from miscommunication, physician order transcription errors, adverse drug events, or incomplete patient medical records," says David Plow, Senior Analyst at MRG. "Generally, medical errors are caused by overcrowded,...

• Race Discrepancy in Medical Care Continues

  Glenn Phillips | June 19, 2007 8:21 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Race discrepancy in the medical care continues after a large nationwide study was done. It showed that black people have a 30 percent of a less than likely chance to get specialized therapy after a heart attack. In long term the study shows that black people are more than likely to die after a heart attack compared to the whites.WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Blacks were far less likely than whites...

• Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Crisis

  Glenn Phillips | January 24, 2007 8:14 AM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  According to an analysis released by Ralph Nader's national group, Public Citizen, there is no medical malpractice lawsuit crisis in America. Although, there is a problem with a small group of doctors who make mistakes. The report states that steps should be taken to identify and weed out the doctors that are responsible for the malpractice law suits. "To improve patient safety and prevent...

• Paxil and the Risk of Birth Defects

  Christina Cole | January 23, 2007 9:09 PM | 0 CommentsEverett, WA

  Early results of new studies for Paxil (paroxetine) suggest that the drug can increase the risk of birth defects, in particular heart defects, when women take it during the first trimester of pregnancy. Paxil is approved to treat depression and other various psychiatric disorders. The FDA is currently gathering additional data and they are waiting for final results of the studies so they can...