I’ve chosen the topic of medical malpractice for this essay. I chose this topic because it is a topic that I think someone could disagree with and argue, so therefore it’s also one that I can help persuade someone into thinking I’m right about. My question is “has medical malpractice affected the level/ delivery of health care & does it scaring future physicians away?” This topic is important because it impacts everyone whether they are seeking medical attention or the person providing it. It also affects the cost of health care and people’s access to it. I believe that medical malpractice makes it hard for physicians to do their job without worry and fear of getting sued. This can impact their judgment and distract them from getting their …show more content…
In "Health Care Reform and Medical Malpractice Claims,” Mark Rothstein discusses the controversial debate about health reform. Rothstein’s gives information on both sides of the argument and what both sides believe should happen. The main one he talks about is the PPACA or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Rothstein then begins to talk about people’s motivation for suing. He talks about a study done in 1992 which involved a survey of mothers of infants who had died or suffered prenatal injuries and had medical malpractice claims. The person conducting this research asked a simple question “Why did you sue?” He was given answers like “[I was] advised to sue by someone outside of their immediate family and sued to get revenge or deter future …show more content…
In "The Effect of Medical Malpractice Liability on the Delivery of Health Care,” Daniel Weinberg discusses the effects of “ medical malpractice liability on the delivery of health care in the United States.” Weinberg approaches this topic in several different ways by breaking it down into parts. He focuses on “physician workforce, physician income and patients' access to care.” Weinberg discusses the affect medical malpractice is having on people in certain aspects of the medical field and also how it is affecting those who are seeking medical attention. One of the main topics that Weinberg talks about is how medical malpractice affects physicians and if it cause them to use defensive medicine, which goes into how some people believe that defensive medicine can be a waste of money and affect how the patients are
What is malpractice? The given definition is improper, illegal, or negligent professional activity or treatment, especially by a medical practitioner, lawyer, or public official. These cases are occurring more all over the state than they should be due to human era. The people at the hands of doctors are being let down as well as left with disfiguration or even death. These cases are leaving people to question their surgeons as well as the nurses attending with them.
“Medical malpractice occurs when a hospital, doctor or other health care professional, through a negligent act or omission, causes an injury to a patient. The negligence might be the result of errors in diagnosis, treatment, aftercare or health management.” (Admin) One of the most common type of claims that pharmacies face are negligence claims. Negligence is one of the categories that falls under the area of law called Torts. In the Hundley v Rite Aid case, a tort was filed for injuries that were sustained by Gabrielle Hundley after she took medication from an incorrectly filed prescription. The case involved a jury trial verdict involving Gabrielle Hundley, a minor child, against Howard Jones, the pharmacist, and the Rite
Medical malpractice lawsuits are an extremely serious topic and have affected numerous patients, doctors, and hospitals across the country. Medical malpractice is defined as “improper, unskilled or negligent treatment of a patient by a physician, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care professional” (Medical malpractice, n.d.). If a doctor acts negligent and causes harm to a patient, malpractice lawsuits arise. Negligence is the concept of the liability concerning claims of medical malpractice, making this type of litigation part of tort law. Tort law provides that one person may litigate negligence to recover damages for personal injury. Negligence laws are designed to deter careless behavior and also to
One of the problems with malpractice is that sometimes we have a hard time recognizing it. We may not know what exactly constitutes medical malpractice, or what qualifies as medical malpractice. Even worse, we often don't know what our course of action should
A second issue is malpractice. Malpractice issues are always present in an unstable environment where patients will seek to remedy an incident if they feel they have been harmed (Hamric, 2009). It is important to always act in a reasonable way as a health care clinician but unfortunately there are always those who are negligent in their actions as practitioners.
Medical malpractice, the negligence of a health professional in diagnosing, treating, and or caring for a patient, is a specific tort law under the negligence torts. In the medical field, the tort reform has affected many people including doctors, lawyers, insurance company owners and workers, patients, and including other citizens. While large corporations, doctors, and other defendants are benefitting from caps on damages, that is limiting the amount of money that can be granted in court, plaintiffs, lawyers, and citizens are affected differently. Doctor Sage stated in an interview that he has, “never felt that caps on damages had a major effect on patients one way or the other” (“Could Malpractice”). This remark makes those injured question about
A large percentage of current doctors are reaching the age of retirement and many students are turned off from the field for multiple reasons. One of the greatest disadvantages of having any medical job that involves such high stakes, are the pressures of professional liability. Many doctors are at risk of being sued for malpractice during their medical careers. Medical liability can deter doctors away from tending to high risk patients or even practicing at all. According to a study conducted by the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “58% of OB-GYNs said they changed how they practiced due to the risk or fear of being sued. Slightly more than one out of four OB-GYNs (27%) decreased the number of high-risk patients, 24% increased the number of cesarean deliveries, 19% stopped offering VBACs, and 6% dropped obstetrics altogether” ("Women's Health Care Physicians.”). The care these physicians provide is essential, especially for women who are in high-risk situations. No woman should have to worry about being denied treatment by a doctor for fear of being potentially sued. When obstetricians-gynecologists are sued, the effects are detrimental to multiple aspects of the their career. Not only does it bring about a large mess of legal issues, but it also takes a toll on the mental health and confidence of these trained medical professionals. This
Tort reform has intense arguments to both sides and creates a myriad of concerns. On one side of the tort reform movement, defendants such as corporations and medical professionals want limits on the damages awarded to the plaintiff. The benefit of tort reform for defendant is the financial savings. However, a cap placed on medical malpractice cases and other cases that are of negligence would standardize the monetary compensation regardless of the damage. In my opinion, Medical malpractice tort reform is a gray area, for each breach of the standard of care involves a different story and person, therefore the damages vary and should be evaluated fairly. In this essay, both sides of the argument are discussed, with a focus on medical malpractice tort reform.
From a personal standpoint I believe that the excessiveness of litigation is hurting the field of healthcare due to the affects in many different areas. It reduces access that patients need. Due to the misuse and disloyal antics of people making false accusations to self gain we will continue to see a rise in healthcare. I do not feel that all accusations are false, but I do believe that litigation has become successful due to dishonesty. In order for there to be financial distress for us all as a country we must flow diligently with each other. From a malpractice standpoint they need to ensure that their patients are taken care of to the best of their ability and that they are taking the precautions needed to ensure no
Medical Malpractice consists of negligence committed by a medical professional. There are many possible events that can occur in the practice of medicine. When physician make a medical error it could possible result in an injury. We often put our faith in doctor to make the right medical decision for us. However, medical malpractice does not always hold up since some patient can take advance of the system. There are some defenses that exist when talking about the medical malpractice.
Rising health care costs have caused a national crisis, and all agree we must embrace reform. President Obama has initiated his national health care plan in the hopes of decreasing some of the inflated costs. When attempting to resolve this issue, one must always address the root of the problem. A large portion of these inflationary costs stem from malpractice lawsuits, and so begins the debate for tort reform: legislation which would cut the costs of health care by reducing the risk of civil litigation and exposure to fraudulent claims (“What”). However, the real factor at hand and the real cause of the industry’s high costs does not come solely from the cost incurred from these lawsuits, but from over-expenditures on the part of
The consequences of medical malpractice can be devastating: paralysis, brain damage, cognitive deficits, loss of limbs, organ failure, permanent disabilities, and death are some of the outcomes.
The moral philosophies each have their perspectives on moral act when it comes to others well- being. When an organization is operating in a safe and responsible manner, then there is nothing to fear. (HG.org., 2015). However, when negligence comes in play, then there is a red flag. Organizations should be operating at their highest potential and keeping their customer, clients, and patients in mind in order to continue without the fear of a lawsuit. The “frivolous actions,” are what some people express to those who are attempting to obtain any financial benefits from the negligence is sad. The tort reform is unfair to the people that are harmed and some of the injuries may be permanent and painful. Moreover, this violates the person’s constitutional rights and the tort law placing caps on the amount sets the boundaries to the ruling of the jury. An organization who makes the defective product or the physician who caused the pain, should be responsible for compensation for their wrongdoing or malpractice. With this, it could assist other organizations to practice the business without causing harm to their customers, clients, and
Alexis- Negligence and Intentional torts both contribute to the health industry. Negligence is something that most people sue for, and all health professionals should understand how to avoid these situations. For example: the physician should make sure he/she has a complete understanding about the individual medical need, before releasing them. By doing this they can avoid the chances of misdiagnosing or creating mire problems. Protecting the patients right is and should a mission for each health provider to avoid a potential law suit. All professional should be knowledgeable about the importance of intentional torts a how to avoid crossing that path. Fastidious discussion post for this module, keep up the good work.
Medical malpractice happens when a hospital, doctor or other health care professional, perform negligence through their practice and causes an injury to a patient, it may be the result of mistakes in diagnosis, management and after care or health management. (Podgers, 2007)