Precautions That Can Help You Avoid A Medical Mistake
In a perfect world, you would never have to worry about whether your doctor diagnosed you correctly or wonder if the medication you're taking will heal you or harm you. The vast majority of doctors are caring, well-trained, careful professionals who won't steer you wrong. However, there is a disturbing minority of doctors who make negligent or careless mistakes, and research shows that even after making one or several mistakes, many of these doctors retain their licenses to practice medicine. In fact, of 800 doctors who were responsible for around 10% of all the medical malpractice claims between 2001 and 2011, only about one in five faced any kind of licensing restriction from their state medical boards. Because it can be difficult for a patient to tell the difference between a good doctor and a careless one, it's best to take some precautions that can help you avoid becoming the victim of a medical mistake.
Know Your Family Medical History
Family history can give doctors a big clue when it comes to making a diagnosis. A great number of diseases and medical conditions have some genetic component. Discovering that a close relative had a rare medical condition can give doctors a reason to look into non-standard diagnoses sooner than they otherwise would have, which can save precious time when looking for a diagnosis. It can also help your doctor to know if your family has a history of experiencing certain conditions—like heart disease or dementia—early in life. This can prevent them from discounting the possibility of these conditions due to your own age.
Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are all good sources for finding out what kind of medical issues run in your family. Sharing information among family members can be helpful for everyone. Let your doctor know about any family health issues you're aware of, whether or not you believe they're medically relevant. If you're adopted, or for other reasons don't know your family medical history, make sure to mention that as well—your doctor should know that they may be working with unknown factors.
Keep Written Lists of Medication
It's important for you to know what medications you've been prescribed and what they're for. If you have a complicated case, you may be prescribed multiple prescriptions, or your doctor may need to make frequent adjustments to the type of medications and dosages until they hit the prescription that works best for you. This can get confusing. And if it can get confusing for you, it can also confuse your doctor, as well as the pharmacists, nurses, or caretakers that are responsible for administering your medications.
The best thing that you can do is keep a running list of medications that you're taking at any given time. Make sure to include vitamins and herbal supplements as well, as they can interact with prescription medications. When your doctor prescribes a new medications, ask him to check your list to make sure that the new prescription doesn't conflict with any of the old ones. Your list should also note what condition each medication is for, and what the medication looks like. Noting these details can help you avoid potentially dangerous medication errors—if you're handed a blue pill when you know that the ones you take are usually white, you should question that.
Stand Your Ground
It sounds easy, but asking questions or describing your symptoms when you're in the doctor's office can be harder than it should be. First of all, the time that you spend with the doctor is typically short—15 minute visits are common, and in some practices, it's even less. What's more, patients often find that they don't have the time to speak. Interruptions are common. In 2001, a study conducted by the University of South Carolina found that patients of primary care physicians managed to speak for about 12 seconds before being interrupted either by the doctor, by a page, or by the doctor's staff. As you might imagine, it's difficult to describe a complex set of symptoms in 12 seconds, so how can your doctor diagnose you properly with that small amount of information?
What you need to do is insist on taking the time to ask your questions and describe your symptoms, and get the answers that you need. It can help to bring a written list of questions with you—that way, if you're interrupted, you won't lose your train of thought and can return to the topic. However, that may also not be enough.
It can be easy to become flustered or intimidated by a doctor who is in a rush, especially if you already don't feel well. If you're not sure that you'll be able to insist on asking all your questions during the appointment, consider bringing someone along who can advocate for you. The truth is, your doctor will be better able to diagnose and treat you if they have all of the relevant information. Listening to your questions and concerns is an important part of gathering relevant information. But in the current medical system, you may have to be prepared to insist upon being listened to.
If you suspect that you've been misdiagnosed, been the victim of a medication error, or been given incorrect treatment for your condition, seek a second opinion right away. If your doctor was negligent or reckless in your treatment, you may be able to make a medical malpractice claim. Click here to contact a personal injury attorney or seek one out in your area who can help you determine whether or not you have a case.
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