No one wants to hear they have cancer or another serious illness. It’s scary and overwhelming. What’s worse? A doctor telling you he/she failed to realize that you’ve had cancer (or another serious illness) for weeks or months, delaying potentially life-saving treatments. Also horrible? Receiving treatments for an illness you don’t even have. Diagnostic errors, […]
Archive | Medical Errors
Medication Errors in Long-Term Care Facilities – One Patient’s Cautionary Tale.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog posts (and I hope you are! If not, sign up here to receive my weekly post by email) you know I often cite research regarding the frequency and severity of medication errors. The Institute of Medicine estimates the average patient in hospitals and long-term care facilities experiences at least […]
Reduce Your Risk of Medical Errors Even the Best Doctors Make
We literally put our lives in the hands of doctors. We trust them to do their jobs well – to heal us and protect us from harm. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. In fact, medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States. Do you know what you should do […]
Can Your Medication Make You Sicker?
Medications are a common treatment. So common in fact, many patients take multiple medications. Although medication is supposed to make you better, that is not always the case. Can your medication make you sicker? Unfortunately, yes. Americans take a lot of medication! We are taking a lot of pills! Research estimates that in any given […]
Learn a Lesson From Serena Williams: Trust Your Instincts When it Comes to Your Health
By zaggocare on February 26, 2018 in Communicating with Your Healthcare Team, Medical Errors, Understanding Your Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Speaking up can reduce your risk of a misdiagnosis! Have you ever felt that your doctor isn’t listening to you? Have you had your concerns brushed aside? Are you wondering how you can reduce your risk of a misdiagnosis? It happens in doctors’ offices, emergency departments and hospital rooms – patients have a sense of […]
Outpatient Medical Errors: Patient Safety Concerns Are Not Only for Hospitals.
Do you know how to reduce your risk of medical errors at your doctor’s office? There’s been quite a bit in the news the past few years about safety in hospitals. Yet you don’t hear about the dangers patients face in doctor offices, urgent care centers, day surgical centers and even their homes. Do you […]
Hospital Safety Grades – How Safe are Hospitals?
By zaggocare on December 4, 2017 in Evaluating a Doctor or Hospital, Hospital Issues, Medical Errors, Patient Safety
Learning about your hospital’s safety record may safe your life! Hospitals are where we go to seek care and treatment. Many of us go fully expecting to heal and come home better than when we went in. And no one goes expecting to get sicker. And while all hospitals have policies and procedures in place […]
What is Being Done to Reduce Medication Errors?
Exciting New Initiative on Reducing Medication Errors Medication errors, including patients taking the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, are dangerous. In the US, medication errors cause at least one death every day and injure about 1.3 million people every year. What can hospitals, doctors and patients do to reduce medication errors? I am excited […]
Easy Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Patient Safety Hazards
ECRI Institute has recently released its list of the top 10 patient safety concerns for healthcare organizations for 2017. The bad news – these are serious concerns. The good news – there are easy steps to reduce your risk of patient safety hazards. Knowledge is power. Below is a description of 5 items on the […]
Are the Long Hours of Doctor Training Programs Dangerous for Patients?
I know I have been there. That place where you are so tired you literally cannot think straight. You’ve been up with a baby or a sick child. A work or school deadline has kept you awake most of the night for days on end. Mind-numbing sleepless nights really take a toll. In fact, studies […]