Hospital Errors With Lab Tests: Concerns And Harm To Patients

Whether a patient is hospitalized for emergency treatment, an elective surgery, or other ailment, the hospital’s laboratory will play a central role with care. Lab tests and screenings are critical for diagnosing a medical condition, so that health care providers can develop a strategy and get started with proper treatment. You might not expect that the lab department could be the source of hospital errors, so it is disturbing to learn that patients may be at risk. A major medical malpractice insurance company reports that 51 percent of all claims related to diagnosis involve negligence in ordering tests, transmitting results, and interpreting what they mean.

Mistakes with lab testing may be actionable under Florida medical malpractice laws, but the key is being able to prove that the facility deviated from the applicable standard of care. Evidence is crucial, and you can count on a Miami hospital errors attorney to handle investigations and other aspects of the legal process. Plus, some information on how lab mistakes happen is useful.

Hospital Errors in the Lab 

There are multiple health care providers involved in the context of lab tests and screenings, including the physician, lab techs, nursing staff, and the hospital administration that establishes policies regarding these processes. As a result, there are many sources of errors with lab testing. Patients can be harmed when providers fail to:

• Identify what diagnostic tests are appropriate based upon the patient’s symptoms and medical history
• Place the laboratory order, which may be through the hospital’s computerized provider order entry (CPOE)
• Provide special instructions on lab orders when appropriate, including directions to expedite a test when the patient is under emergency care
• Communicate with the lab to ensure smooth transmission of test results
• Interpret test results in accordance with applicable medical standards
• Order additional tests or repeat screenings as necessary
• Secure specimens to prevent contamination
• Properly label test samples, often leading to mix ups between and among patients

Medical Consequences for the Patient 

Due to the role of lab testing in the diagnosis process, any of the above hospital errors can lead to serious patient harm. Delays in ordering, transmitting, or interpreting the test results means the patient does not receive essential care. The medical condition that brought him or her to the hospital could worsen, a particular concern with stroke, heart attack, and infections.

Mistakes with lab screenings can also lead to misdiagnosis of a medical condition, which can be equally harmful for the patient. The individual may receive invasive or harsh treatment that was unnecessary, while the underlying condition degenerates due to lack of care.

Get in Touch with a Florida Hospital Errors Lawyer Right Away 

Lab tests are central to diagnosing a medical condition, which means the results are also critical to getting the patient on a treatment regimen promptly. For more information on your rights in a hospital errors case, please contact Freidin Brown, P.A. We can set up a free consultation to discuss details at our offices in Miami or Fort Myers, FL.

Source:

coverys.com/PDFs/Coverys_Diagnostic_Accuracy_Report.aspx