When people think about medical malpractice, they probably think about a surgeon making a mistake on the operating table or a doctor missing a diagnosis. But medical malpractice can occur on the administrative end, too. Hospitals run on paperwork and each patient’s medical records are the key to physicians knowing how to best treat the patient. If there are instances where details are left out, certain tests aren’t sent to the doctor, or any miscommunication happens, the patient could potentially suffer.
Contact the Baltimore physician communication lawyers of Belsky & Horowitz, LLC, if you believe that the doctors or hospital staff could have and should have prevented a tragic outcome by simply communicating better. Get a free consultation today.
Miscommunication by Medical Providers
In our experience, this is an all too prevalent form of malpractice. It is heartbreaking when critical information never reaches the doctor or patient — information that may have saved a life, extended life or prevented irreversible injury.
An example of communication gone wrong:
A patient comes to the ER complaining of chest pain. No radiologist is on staff after 7 p.m., so the X-ray is sent out to a night service. The case is lost in the shuffle. The patient never gets a callback. The attending physician never follows up. A year later, the patient is diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. Early diagnosis would have provided treatment options, but now doctors can only manage the pain prior to death.
Communication errors occur in countless ways:
- Lab results get lost or sent to the wrong party.
- Doctors receive but do not read lab results.
- Crucial information is buried in the report instead of listed first.
- Incidental findings on an MRI (such as thyroid nodules) are never relayed to the patient.
- Radiologists hedge their findings in vague language that gets ignored.
- Patients see multiple specialists, but there is no care coordinator for sharing data or reaching consensus.
- Narcotics are overprescribed, leading to addiction and death.
Accountability Through the Maryland Legal System
A physician communication error can cause a lot of confusion and pain for the patient. No one deserves to go through this. If you’ve experienced health complications because of a physician error, you can seek legal aid with one of our skilled Baltimore physical communication error lawyers.
Our lawyers probe into the chain of command and hospital protocols, examining medical records and reading between the lines to discover where the miscommunication occurred. If there is evidence that a client was deprived of needed treatment or critical information, we aggressively pursue compensation for the resulting disability, suffering, financial hardships or premature death. When necessary, we have the resources and courtroom experience to take the case to a jury in the quest for justice.
We have six offices in Baltimore and surrounding counties of Maryland. We’re ready to help you. Contact us online or arrange a free consultation by calling 410-234-3992 or 800-895-5333.
