Six Shocking Facts Most Patients Never Know About Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice claims and cases can befall anyone who enters a hospital room seeking medical attention. All that needs to happen is for you to encounter a medical staff who isn’t qualified, has no experience, or is negligent in your medical care. Currently, you find that medical malpractices have increased and become so high that out of every 20 Americans who seek medical attention, more than one patient is usually a victim of a medical error at some point in their life.
In most situations, you may not even be aware that you were a victim of a medical malpractice. It can take you months, even years before you realize that you actually were a victim of a medical malpractice. That being said, this article will enlighten you on some facts about medical malpractice that most people don’t know about.
1. When your symptoms don’t really match with your diagnosis
In the event that you realize that the diagnosis you have been given doesn’t really match our symptoms, you should put up some red flags. Patients always want to trust their doctors when it comes to medical care. And that is where a medical mistake can crop up. Misdiagnosis of a patient’s symptoms can sometimes lead to doctors offering the wrong medication or treatment.
2. Not going through common diagnostic testing before your actual diagnosis
Most of the time, you find that patients need to undergo one or more diagnostic tests before doctors can eventually determine what is ailing the patients. But when you realize that you are being taken through uncommon diagnostic testing, then you should start asking some questions. Like why the tests are different that time around when you have been having a common test don’t for your particular symptoms.
3. Your doctor won’t or can’t answer your questions
It is usually very rare to find a situation where a doctor admits to not knowing what how to respond to your medical questions. But when that happens, you should start raising some warning signs. It is the patient’s right to ask his/her doctor as many questions as he/she likes, express his/her concerns to the doctor, receive answers to his/her questions, and leave the doctor’s room feeling satisfied.
4. You’re still not getting any better even after the treatments
In as much as people go to medical institutions to seek medical treatment, it is also important to note that not every medical condition always improves with treatments. But if you have been properly diagnosed and the proper medical treatments have been offered, then your overall health shouldn’t get worse. If it does, then something is clearly wrong somewhere. You should ask your doctor why your condition is only getting worse even after taking the prescribed medication. You can also opt to get a second opinion from another doctor to try and explain the case to you just so you can be aware of what is really happening.
5. Getting entirely different answers from a different doctor
The moment you realize that you aren’t getting any better even while taking the medication as prescribed by your initial doctor, you can opt to seek medical advice from another doctor about your medical condition. But what happens when you get totally different answers from this other doctor? You should start worrying about your health at this point. You may have been a victim of a medical malpractice or the new doctor has totally misdiagnosed your medical condition. You can also opt for third or fourth opinions just to be sure.
6. Your doctor doesn’t follow up even after a major procedure
It is always common practice for medical providers to follow up on their patient’s medical conditions, especially after undergoing major procedures like surgeries. A responsible and professional medical provider will definitely call you and check on you from time to time. Be very concerned about your medical condition the moment you realize that your doctor doesn’t seem to care about your condition after going through major medical procedures.