Research has produced a three-pronged approach to reducing potentially fatal medical errors: health care providers can use simple checklists to organize tasks; make use of emerging cancer diagnostic technology; and convert paper hospital records to more easily tracked and updated electronic records.
Medical Checklists: An Easy, Often Unused Way to Make Hospitals Safer
A decade ago, professor and medical director for Johns Hopkins' Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care Peter Pronovost proposed simple, clear checklists as a way for doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel to keep track of tasks, treatments, medications for each patient.
In a recent interview, Pronovost said great numbers of doctors and hospitals refuse to use the checklists, even though the lists require minimal expense and effort and cut drastically cut preventable medical errors. He blames a health care culture containing "a certain degree of arrogance, autonomy, and even fear."
Diagnostic Technology: Avoiding Costly, Painful Mistakes
The New York Times recently reported that an estimated 90,000 women have been misdiagnosed with breast cancer, needlessly resulting in disfiguring surgery or painful treatments.
A new non-radiation diagnostic tool is on the way, however: it detects cancer in its earliest stages, using nanotechnology to detect cancer consisting of only 100,000 malignant cells. Current technology requires 100 million malignant cells before a tumor is detected.
The new technology from Manhattan Scientifics is capable of drastically reducing false positives and helping doctors detect breast cancer three years earlier than the mammograms used today.
Paper to Digital: It's Time to Make the Change
With the passage of health care reform legislation, the federal government took a big step toward making medical care not only safer but less expensive by helping health care providers switch from paper to digital records.
The conversion helps control costs while also improving the quality of care and efficiency. Doctors will be able to get a complete picture of a patient's medical history and current treatments by tapping into a nationwide record-tracking system.
For instance, digital medical records help cut down on medication errors. Doctors and nurses instantly know which drugs patients are taking and how they might interact with newly prescribed medications. Digital records also keep track of past treatments and allergies.
The Gaston Gazette reports that digital records have also been shown to reduce duplication in efforts, minimize delays in treatment and cut down on the number of costly, time-intensive tests ordered by doctors and hospitals.
Protecting Patients
Doctors and other medical personnel are obligated to give quality care. When they ignore safety measures and technology proven to improve care and protect patients, they expose their patients to unnecessary risks.
Patients who have been harmed by doctor, nurse or hospital negligence or preventable medical error should contact a North Carolina medical malpractice attorney for an assessment of the injury, diagnosis, treatment and other factors. A medical malpractice lawyer can inform you of your legal options and help you pursue full, fair compensation for damages.
