Thousands of people in Massachusetts and around the country are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis each year, but many of these diagnoses are made months after the onset of symptoms. About 40% of the people who develop ALS each year are initially diagnosed...
Medical Malpractice
Malpractice claims against nurse practitioners are increasing
The medical care industry in Massachusetts is booming and shows no signs of stopping. But there may be a dark side to our country's increasing need for health care. Malpractice claims against nurse practitioners are on the rise. Most commonly, medical malpractice...
Know how to recognize surgical mistakes
For people in Massachusetts who are suffering from a medical condition, illness or injury, surgery is often the only alternative. Patients undoubtedly expect medical professionals to adhere to the highest standard of care. Unfortunately, medical errors happen...
Dealing with emergency room malpractice
When you are diagnosed with an illness in Massachusetts, you expect to have it treated correctly. You have the right to receive prompt and courteous treatment for any kind of injury that you may have suffered. If you should fail to receive the right type of medical...
Physician notes can reveal bias, disbelief and disapproval
The notes entered on medical records by physicians and other clinicians offer insights into their opinion about patients' behavior and the validity of their complaints. In Massachusetts and elsewhere, the attitudes of healthcare professionals can impact the quality...
Bad bedside manner and medical malpractice
When you think of medical malpractice, you often imagine cases where a doctor makes a mistake that leads to harm to the patient. However, it can take other forms beyond medical errors, including issues related to bedside manner. Bedside manner refers to a doctor's...
The real risk of outsourced ER doctors
Some hospitals in Massachusetts try to save money wherever they can, and sometimes, that seems to be at patients' expense. One common example of this is the practice of not hiring as many doctors for their ERs and instead outsourcing them. When a private equity firm...
Handling medical misdiagnosis in Massachusetts
When sick, you rely on medical professionals in Massachusetts to find out what's wrong with you and prescribe the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, as a recent study has shown, misdiagnoses are far too common in U.S. emergency rooms. Prevalence of medical...
The top three misdiagnosed medical conditions
A 2019 report from The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety revealed startling patient statistics. The Center found that more than 60,000 patients in Massachusetts had suffered from medical errors. Misdiagnosis can lead to harm or even death for patients. Claims of...
Never events are serious and preventable medical errors
Never events are medical errors made in hospitals in Massachusetts and around the country that are extremely serious and usually preventable. The term "never event" was first used in 2001, which was two years after the Institute of Medicine released a report that drew...