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FDA proposes more regulation to avoid possible misdiagnoses

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday January 14, 2015

The Food and Drug Administration is charged with ensuring public safety from potentially harmful foods, medications and medical devices. Now, it is proposing additional oversight of certain laboratory testing in an effort to reduce the numbers of misdiagnoses than have been blamed on inaccurate test results. There may be some Massachusetts patients who were harmed by faulty or inaccurate results. The FDA recently held a two-day seminar to discuss the agency's proposal. The agency expressed its intention to begin overseeing the development of a variety of tests that are produced by medical laboratories. Many stated opposition to increased regulation as it may add…

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Woman breaks hip in alleged medical malpractice

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday December 25, 2014

Medical professionals are supposed to do what they are capable of in order to help patients avoid injuries while under a hospital's care. Failure to do so may result in a medical malpractice lawsuit in Massachusetts or in any other state. It turns out one hospital that is now facing a lawsuit may have failed to take necessary precautions to help avoid injury to a particular patient. The recent incident involved a patient who had been admitted to the hospital in order to undergo a psychological evaluation in mid-July 2009. She had been previously diagnosed with dementia and was admitted to the…

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Surgical error places man’s future health in serious jeopardy

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday December 15, 2014

No matter one's social or economic background, every patient here in Massachusetts and everywhere else deserves the same care and diligence when it comes to serious health problems. Unfortunately, patients who are currently incarcerated do not have the option of seeking their own trusted medical care providers and must place their lives in the hands of the staff that the penal system has under contract. While the majority of these medical practitioners exercise the same care regardless of who their patients are, there was a recent incident where a surgical error has placed a man's health in jeopardy. According to the report, a patient needed surgery to remove…

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Researchers question value of computers in avoiding misdiagnoses

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday December 2, 2014

Computers are omnipresent in every facet of life, including one's health care. Doctors often enter examination rooms carrying a handheld device, while nurses may take patient histories on a mobile laptop in Massachusetts emergency rooms. There are some who question the role that computers might play when physicians make misdiagnoses. With the advent of the computer age, more and more industries are becoming exceedingly technology-driven. Human ingenuity has taken a backseat to the convenience that these electronic devices offer. The same may be especially true in the health care fields, as more of the guess work has been replaced with an array of programs geared toward collecting patient information and supplying a…

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Another suit against doctor with history of medical malpractice

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Saturday November 22, 2014

A doctor is currently facing a medical malpractice lawsuit for the 12th time since 1996. Massachusetts readers will note that the most recent suit is related to complications following a laparoscopic procedure. The current case is the second time the doctor has been accused of medical malpractice just this year. According to records, this doctor has paid recompense related to malpractice cases on four different occasions since 2009. Three other lawsuits are currently pending in the legal system, and it is possible that a fifth payout could happen. It is not immediately clear why the repeated medical malpractice cases have not raised "red flags" within the medical…

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Proposed law has provisions that may prevent medical malpractice

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday October 30, 2014

One state will be voting on proposed law and seems to be concerned with raising the cap on monetary awards for patients who have been harmed by their physicians. However, the bill also contains provisions that may help prevent some instances of medical malpractice altogether. While this battle is not being waged in Massachusetts, the language in the bill addresses problems that may apply to doctors everywhere. While the bill faces strong opposition from malpractice insurance providers (as well as large segments of the medical community), the legislation calls for drug and alcohol testing for doctors who have admitted problems with substance abuse. Doctors who are…

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Patients may be at risk for surgical error when robots are used

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday October 14, 2014

In July, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter of warning to Intuitive Surgical, Inc. concerning the marketing and advertising of its robotic surgical equipment. In spite of advertisements touting the benefits of this technique, several patients reportedly suffered harm from a surgical error caused by these devices. A medical director for Massachusetts General Hospital stated that the facility has been deluged by literature and offers promoting robotic surgery. There are several fields of surgery where robotic equipment is utilized on a fairly regular basis. One of these fields is gynecology surgery, with the promotional literature boasting minimally-invasive procedures and rapid recovery. However, one patient…

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Massachusetts officials concerned about nursing home negligence

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Friday October 10, 2014

A recent report concerning the quality of care provided by the various senior residences has prompted some officials to express their concerns over the facilities that provide care and housing to the elderly. While stories about nursing home negligence are not uncommon, another type of residence has come under increased scrutiny: assisted living centers. While these facilities are less regulated in the care provided to seniors, they might benefit from updated mandates. The Executive Office of Elder Affairs is charged with overseeing the estimated 220 assisted living homes located within the state. That translates to well over 13,500 seniors. Many believe that the agency is poorly equipped to handle…

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Woman claims failure to diagnose led to serious side effects

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday October 9, 2014

Doctors spend years studying in order to provide expert, quality care for their future patients. However, they are human and are capable of making serious mistakes. These mistakes may take many forms, including a failure to diagnose, which can lead to serious consequences for the patients who trust them. Understandably, patients in Massachusetts could also fall victim to these errors. One woman recently discussed her experience with being misdiagnosed for several years. While she states she was aware that she suffered from problems with her thyroid gland, it is unclear why she did not receive appropriate treatment for it. She reported that she was aware of…

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Physician enters guilty plea for misdiagnoses; fraud

On behalf of posted in Medical Malpractice on Saturday September 20, 2014

When patients receive the news that they have cancer or are no longer in remission, then they may feel overwhelmed and probably afraid. However, in most cases, they have a doctor whom they trust to provide the proper care and not one who would deliberately provide misdiagnoses. Unfortunately, there was one doctor who was purportedly doing just that. This doctor did not practice in Massachusetts; however, patients everywhere may be more vigilant because of his alleged actions. This doctor decided to plead guilty in a case that involved purportedly false cancer diagnoses in order to justify billing for chemotherapy treatments. The allegations included several cases where the patients who were…

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