When a harmful event occurs, or you want to investigate to find out about your health status, medical services play a crucial role in your recovery, and the team of experts is ready to save your life and help you get back on your feet. However, sometimes medical professionals don’t fulfil their obligations, and sadly, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in many countries, and doctors are dragged through a complex process of investigation. For instance, in Ireland, medical negligence costs are among the highest in the world. Simply put, medical negligence is considered every action of a caregiver that deviates from the regular medical standards. This can include a wide range of situations that could lead to physical and mental harm to the patient, leading to a situation of malpractice that can be sued in court. In the medical field, saying that mistakes are normal is not applicable because a simple error could cost your health long-term.
What’s considered a medical negligence
Medical providers are expected to pursue their obligations and help patients get through the tough times, making the recovery process easier both physically and mentally. Of course, becoming a good doctor is not easy, and there is a lot of work behind, but once a medic puts on the white coat, they have to be impeccable, being aware that the lives of patients depend on their abilities. Still, medical negligence happens for multiple reasons. For example, misdiagnosing a patient, Missing the symptoms of serious diseases, failing to perform appropriate medical testing, not monitoring a patient adequately, wrong administration of drugs, anaesthesia mistakes, incorrect use of medical devices, botched surgical procedures, leaving a medical instrument inside a patient, incorrect treatment. All these situations can threaten the lives of patients, becoming medical practice, which means that the medical personnel fall below the standards of medical care, and their negligence is the direct cause of the harm, leading to damages that the patient can be compensated for.
Consequences of medical negligence
Medical negligence comes with multiple consequences for both parties involved. Patients have the right to sue the medical provider seeking professional help from the experts at http://gmsolicitors.com, a team of lawyers that can take the case to court for compensation. Hence, the doctor who fails to provide the patient with proper care can lose their attestation. The World Health Organization reports that medical negligence leads to over 2.6 million deaths every year all over the world, and all these mistakes come with high costs for the global healthcare system, leaving a consistent gap. It’s crucial to raise awareness on this subject, and many OGNs are trying to introduce the problem to the world so that we can slowly minimise the risks of malpractice of medical providers. Studies suggest that one in three medics are sued for malpractice, most of them being surgeons. Also, in 2024, Misdiagnosis of diseases such as cancer, vascular issues and infections is also a prevalent avoidable mistake, which is made in 3 to 15% of interventions. Understandably, medical negligence comes with physical and mental damages for patients that could impact their lives long-term or even lead to death.
Physical injuries
Medical negligence can lead to serious physical injuries for patients. When experiencing complications as an outcome of a medical intervention, the patient should learn to identify if the cause is the malpractice of the medical provider. Physical injuries are the most common consequence of medical negligence, and patients might need further investigations and treatment to recover. For example, victims of failed surgeries can experience new interventions to correct the mistakes of the previous doctor, placing the patient in physical pain that can come with risks. Medical negligence victims can experience physical pain that can turn into chronic diseases or even disability, affecting their personal lives. Misdiagnosis can lead to improper treatment of the patient, causing pain and a delay in the recovery process; the incorrect administration of anaesthetic can cause severe pain when the patient wakes up in the middle of the operation, and the incorrect type and dosage of medication can cause allergies and other harmful physical reactions.
Effects on mental health
Medical negligence also impacts the psychological state of the victims. The patients can experience long-term mental issues, and they may develop anxiety, avoid medical institutions or undergo further procedures. Some victims may also experience this event as a traumatic experience, developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD comes with symptoms like re-experiencing the event through flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive thoughts that can impact the life of the victims long-term. Also, in the cases where pain becomes chronic, the patient might experience frustration and even be subject to depression, as between 25 and 50% of victims of malpractice who experience pain are also reported to become depressed. Some patients can also blame themselves for the accident, having a strong feeling of guilt even if the fault is of the medical providers. Understandably, how patients experience medical negligence is subjective, but even if some effects might not be immediately obvious, it’s crucial for the family of the victims to be aware that the patient could experience inner psychological pain they don’t want to express so it’s essential to monitor their activities and behaviour, also considering therapy to fasten the recovery process.
Final thoughts
Annually, there are incredibly high numbers of medical negligence cases all over the world, impacting the global medical systems financially and in terms of the reputation of the accused medical institutions. Being a victim of medical malpractice is an event that comes with long-term physical and mental effects, so it is essential to take the right actions to prevent further complications, like therapy, seeking professional help to get compensated, gaining the courage to undergo another treatment for recovery and focus on regaining control over your life.
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