Study shows doctor errors found by families might not be recorded

Texans who seek treatment for themselves or a loved one at a medical facility will be under the impression that they are getting the best care possible and mistakes will not be made. If they are, they will be recorded and rectified. Since a negligent physician can commit a failure to diagnose and this can lead to delayed treatment, it is exceedingly dangerous for those who are subjected to these mistakes. A recent study has shown that when medical mistakes are made and there are negative reactions to treatment in children, they are frequently omitted from the hospital records. This is important to remember if the condition worsens and it is necessary to pursue a legal filing.
In the study, parents of children who were in the hospital were asked about mistakes made by medical professionals and any adverse event that might have come about. In addition, the doctors and nurses were surveyed. Then the incident reports and medical records were examined. Error rates were found to be 16 percent higher when the families reported them. The overall rates in which there were adverse events were 10 percent higher. There was a similar rate of mistakes and adverse events reported by parents, doctors and nurses. However, 49 percent of the mistakes that were reported by the families and 24 percent of the adverse events reported by the families were not in the medical records.
Incident reports that were compiled by the hospital were similarly unreliable with error rates from family reports five times higher. Adverse event reports were three times higher. Researchers are concerned that the hospitals are not keeping adequate records of all mistakes, particularly those that are caught and reported by the families. The study examined 717 patients and those who were providing care in 2014 or 2015. 26 percent reported 255 incidents. 132 were categorized as safety issues; 102 based on quality of care that did not have anything to do with safety; and 21 other issues.
What this study indicates is that there are often mistakes made in hospitals when dealing with medical professionals and they frequently do not show up in the medical reports. This is important when there is an unexpected problem and they might have been caused by mistakes on the part of the medical professionals. If there is a belief that there were doctor errors and they caused damage of any kind, discussing the matter with an attorney can help to go through the evidence and decide if there is the need to file a case to be compensated.
Source: foxnews.com, “Family-reported errors may go undocumented on hospital records,” Feb. 28, 2017