If you’re scheduled to undergo ear, nose or throat surgery, you’ll want to note that Otolaryngology surgeons and general surgeons reportedly have the highest rate of burnout in the surgical industry. The Maslach Burnout Inventory is comprised of more than 35 years of research regarding three main categories of burnout, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and professional accomplishments. When a surgeon experiences burnout, it affects their personal life as well as career, which can spark bad habits and, in many cases, medical errors.
You have no way of knowing what’s going on in the life of a surgeon who is going to perform a procedure on you. If they are emotionally or mentally exhausted or distressed, feel dissatisfied in their career or are navigating a family crisis, it can affect performance in the operating room. A surgeon who feels burned out is more likely to make surgical errors than one who is well-rested and well-adjusted on the job.
The following list shows numerous issues that medical analyses have determined often contribute to surgeon burnout:
If you’re undergoing surgery with a surgeon who is experiencing one or more of these issues, you may be at greater risk for medical injuries. A surgeon who goes through burnout may experience distractions or fatigue and be more inclined to make a potentially dangerous error.
Surgeon burnout is not your responsibility to resolve as a Delaware medical patient. If you suffer injury because your surgeon was mentally, physically or emotionally distressed or exhausted, and the injury was otherwise preventable, several entities may be liable for damages. Reviewing state laws regarding medical malpractice is a logical step to take if you believe you have grounds for filing a claim.
]]>If your primary care physician or a specialist recommends that you undergo an atherectomy, it is wise to get a second opinion. Sadly, a recent medical analysis shows that as many as 30,000 patients with analyzed conditions may have undergone vascular surgeries they did not need. If a doctor abuses authority by recommending unnecessary surgery, a patient may have grounds for filing a medical malpractice claim.
The year-long analysis showed that many members of the elderly population have had atherectomy surgery under questionable circumstances, meaning that they, perhaps, did not need the surgery. Severe complications have arisen in many cases, including the loss of a limb. Many of these surgeries took place at outpatient vascular centers.
If you have vascular disease, one of the first symptoms you might notice is a condition called “claudication.” In non-specialists’s terms, it means you feel pain or discomfort in one or both legs while walking. Atherectomy is not typically necessary at this point because medication and exercise are often able to resolve the issue. In thousands of cases analyzed, doctors recommended surgery to fix claudication.
If the only symptom you have experienced is claudication, you are most likely in the beginning phase of vascular disease. It is an excellent idea to question why surgery is the recommendation if a doctor tells you to schedule an atherectomy. Ensure you are comfortable with the explanation provided to avoid unnecessary surgery that can put your health at further risk.
Understandably, a doctor who has received tens of millions of dollars in payouts may flag as a concern if a large percentage of their patients were recommended for vascular surgery prematurely or unnecessarily. As a Delaware medical facility patient, you are not responsible for ensuring your doctor does their job right. You can reasonably expect your medical team to act per the industry's stringent protocol and accepted safety standards.
Suppose you have suffered an injury due to unnecessary vascular surgery or other issues that suggest medical malpractice. In that case, you can enlist support to help gather evidence and navigate the civil justice system to seek financial recovery for your losses.
]]>Unfortunately, distracted driving remains a leading cause of collisions, and there may be many who simply won’t grasp how dangerous such behavior can be. Understanding some of the hazards involved with distracted driving could help you take steps to reduce the risk of being involved in a collision on Delaware roads.
Any type of distraction could cause you to take your eyes off the road, remove your hands from the wheel or disrupt your ability to concentrate. Some of the possible effects of such behavior might include:
Understanding the risk involved in such behavior could help you develop safer driving habits. However, your safety could still be at risk if others around you do not take such measures.
If you cross paths with a distracted driver, you might find it difficult or impossible to respond in time to avoid a dangerous collision. Such an incident could pose a dire threat to your safety and health and may also leave you facing various types of financial hardships. When facing similar challenges in life, it could be helpful to seek advice on what steps you can take to help safeguard your future and pursue the total amount of restitution you deserve.
]]>Data shows, however, that this might not be the case for several reasons. Medical malpractice is a deviation from the accepted standard of care, which causes injury to a patient. AI is a system that can sense and react or provide information or recommendations based on a collection of data. If an AI product is defective, resulting in the human error of a physician, who is liable if the patient suffers an injury?
In addition to AI, the medical industry also uses machine learning (ML) devices, which is a type of AI that functions on algorithms. ML becomes more accurate over time as it is exposed to more data. A physician must always act in adherence to state laws and accepted standards, even if it means not following an AI-generated recommendation. A physician may be liable for damages any time he or she fails to fulfill a duty of care, resulting in injury or illness to a patient.
If something goes wrong with an AI or ML device, it does not necessarily mean that a physician or other medical team member is liable for damages. In such cases, however, product liability may exist, which means one can sue a manufacturer or other entity within the chain of distribution for damages. If a physician fails to critically evaluate an AI recommendation, he or she may be liable if the patient suffers injury.
Whether the use of AI and ML in the medical industry will reduce medical malpractice incidents remains to be seen. Every patient has a right to quality care and can seek financial recovery if losses occur due to negligence. As we see the incorporation of more and more computer-generated systems into the industry, determining who is liable for damages can be challenging, especially for someone who does not have a background in personal injury litigation, which is why it is always best to seek guidance when questions arise regarding such matters.
]]>Tailgating, unsafe lane changes, "brake checking," and other aggressive driving maneuvers are all signs of road rage. It's best to create as much distance as possible between your vehicle and any driver showing signs of agitation. Even if you must take an unintended exit, it's better to do so than to become a victim of assault or suffer injuries in a rage-induced collision.
Luckily, Delaware drivers are some of the nation's least likely to exhibit signs of road rage. Forbes ranks Delaware drivers as the least likely to show signs of road rage in a national study, putting the state at the bottom of their list.These incidents still occur even with some of the best drivers regarding road rage. If someone hits you, focus on calling 911 (if you're able) and seeking medical support. Do not engage in confrontation with the other driver. If you can't make a phone call, ask someone to call the police. They will come and secure the scene.
Delaware law allows anyone who has suffered injuries in a motor vehicle collision caused by driver negligence or recklessness to seek restitution for damages. Doing so is often a means of obtaining compensation that can help offset medical bills and other expenses associated with a car accident.
]]>If you are undergoing a medical procedure or receiving treatment for a specific health issue, you expect your doctor to be alert and to act in accordance with state laws as well as the accepted safety standards of the industry. If the doctor attending to your care has fatigue or lacks focus due to spending long hours on duty without rest, they could make a mistake that adversely affects your health.
Studies show that numerous factors contribute to exhaustion and burnout in doctors. Some of these include:
When more than one of these issues is present in a particular physician’s experience, the result is often burnout. When doctors are too tired to focus on the task at hand or do not have adequate backup support, they are at risk of making mistakes that can result in severe injuries to their patients.
Studies have analyzed career satisfaction, efficiency and other issues among doctors who have only just begun their careers in the past 10 years as opposed to those who have been active in their practices for 11 to 20 years and those who have been doctors for longer than 20 years. If your doctor is in the middle group, they are most likely to feel overworked, exhausted and dissatisfied with their career.
In fact, the results of one study showed that doctors in the mid-life career group are much more likely to leave their jobs for non-retirement-related issues within the next few years. Regardless of current data, however, why should you or any other patient be at risk because a doctor feels overworked?
If you suffer a medical injury, it should never be because of a doctor’s negligence. You have a right to quality care, even if a particular form of treatment does not produce the results you or your doctor were hoping to achieve. There’s a big difference between a treatment that doesn’t work and negligence that results in injury to a patient. If you have suffered injuries in a medical environment due to a doctor’s negligence, Delaware law allows you to seek restitution by filing a medical malpractice claim.
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