Do you feel like your medical professionals have given you enough attention? Regardless of how you answer that question, the truth of the matter is that they might not be. One reason is because the doctors and nurses are often affected by their work conditions and their personal lives, which can affect their work performance. Distraction, fatigue, and even intoxication can lead to serious medical errors that cause you or a loved one significant harm.
Health issues linked to medical errors
To see just how big of a problem this is you need turn no further than a recent study conducted on the health of critical care nurses. There, researchers surveyed approximately 800 critical care nurses and found sobering results. The results of their survey showed that more than 60% of nurses reported having less than optimal physical health, while more than half of them reported having less than optimal mental health. Depression and anxiety were reported in high numbers, too, coming in at 40% and 50% respectively.
Even more troubling, though, is the effects of this poor health on patient treatment. The study found that those nurses who reported poor health had up to a 62% higher risk of making a preventable medical error. This statistic shows that there are a whole host of factors outside of your control that could contribute to medical malpractice.
Hospitals can do more to prevent medical malpractice
The study also found that nurses who felt supported in their workplaces were more likely to have better health and therefore a reduced risk of committing medical mistakes. Therefore, hospitals can do more to support the healthcare workers they employ, which in turn would better protect patients.
But the truth of the matter is that medical malpractice will continue to occur. When it does, medical professionals and hospitals will try to shift the blame or argue that they lived up the applicable standard of care. But these errant parties need to be held responsible for their actions. That’s why law firms like ours stand ready to help victims of medical malpractice fight to obtain justice and the compensation they deserve.