Leading Causes of Medical Malpractice by Florida Internists
When you think about the health care providers most likely to be negligent in providing treatment, OB/GYNs, surgeons, and doctors in medical specialties might come to mind. However, you might change your mind when you realize that misdiagnosis accounted for more than half of all medical malpractice claims in a JAMA Internal Medicine study. As a result, a diagnostic error is more likely to result from negligence by an internal medicine physician, a.k.a., an internist. The breadth of their practice area could be the reason JAMA researchers linked internists to five common types of medical mistakes in the US.
If you believe you suffered harm due to an internist’s negligence, you should reach out to a Florida medical malpractice lawyer to discuss your legal options. You can also read on for more information on the five reasons why internal medicine physicians are often the subject of a med mal claim.
Five Common Reasons Behind Internist Medical Malpractice: These health care professionals rely on their scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to diagnose, treat, and provide related care to adults of all ages, from all demographic groups. Therefore, internal medicine physicians are more likely to make mistakes with evaluating and managing medical conditions. The five most frequently cited grounds for med mal claims against internists are:
- Misdiagnosis: At more than 26 percent of all claims, failing to diagnose a condition is the most common basis of medical malpractice claims against internists. It is logical that diagnostic mistakes occur frequently when the primary job of an internal medicine physician is diagnosis; you will not see as many claims against surgeons or other procedural-oriented specialties.
- Failure to Obtain Consent: This form of mistake does not occur through medical decision-making or approach to treatment, but rather the administration process of providing care. All Florida health care providers are required to get the patient’s agreement after consultation and a description of the risks. The law regarding informed consent does not apply in emergency situations.
- Negligence in Performing Procedures: This category covers a wide range of careless acts, since the definition of medical procedure covers more than just surgery. It extends to the physician’s choices and entire course of action in delivering health care. More than 11 percent of all med mal claims against internists involved allegations of negligence in performing a procedure.
- Improper Monitoring of Support Staff: Internists rely on nurses, residents, and other health care practitioners in providing care. They can be held liable when they fail to properly oversee these individuals in executing essential tasks.
- Administration of Prescriptions: In this category, the most common mistakes involve not asking the patient about allergies, prescribing an incorrect dosage, administering a drug without mentioning side effects, and many others.
Contact Our Florida Medical Malpractice Attorneys for More Information
To learn more about your rights after medical errors by internists and other health care providers, please contact the Miami medical malpractice lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. You may qualify to seek compensation for your losses, including medical bills, pain and suffering, and others. We can explain your options in more detail after conducting a free consultation at our offices.
Resource:
Top 5 Reasons Why Internists Are Sued
Florida Medical Malpractice Claims for the “Big Three” in Misdiagnosis
