Medical errors are more common than you think

Being hospitalized is a scary experience. By the time people in Delaware need to go to the hospital, they may be in severe pain or dealing with a traumatic medical problem. These patients have to put their trust in doctors to address their illnesses and treat them accordingly, but that trust is sometimes misplaced. Medical errors — including near misses — are surprisingly common in hospitals.

Dr. Danielle Ofri is the author of a new book that examines flaws in the health care system, which she says create a path for serious errors. Dr. Ofri also notes that it is impossible to know just how many deaths are caused by medical errors. However, based on her experiences in the health care field, she says the number is not small.

Medical professionals are often reluctant to disclose errors, especially when they only caused mild adverse effects or none at all. One example from Dr. Ofri includes a nursing home patient she once treated in the emergency room. After trusting another person who told her that the elderly woman’s radiology results were fine, she decided that it was fine to send the patient back to her nursing home. Dr. Ofri later reviewed the results for herself and realized the woman’s brain was bleeding and that she needed surgery. The patient survived the surgery without issue, and this is what Dr. Ofri describes as a near miss.

On top of worrying about their illnesses and injuries, patients in Delaware should not have to worry about medical errors. Unfortunately, the reality is that these mistakes regularly kill or harm people. Finding justice for these actions is a priority for some victims and their families, which is why some turn to medical malpractice claims.