Advances in medicine are happening all the time. Often they are hugely important and deserve to have word of them spread. Sometimes they may be important, but in the absence of any solid data proving their value, they should be studied with a certain level of healthy skepticism.
Average consumers aren’t really equipped with the knowledge to know when some glittering new technology being promoted is all it’s cracked up to be. So when a new piece of equipment is introduced, whether it’s in the general clinical setting or the hallowed environment of the surgical theater, we tend to rely on analysis from sources that we trust.
The Wall Street Journal certainly would rank as one source near the top of the list for most people, but even that isn’t always the case as a recent review by HealthNewsReview.org observes. The organization takes the Journal to task for offering a piece about systems that employ “real-time” computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging during operations ostensibly to help surgeons do a better job.
The review makes clear that the story falls short of the ideal from a reporting standpoint. It tends to hype the possible merits of the technology without offering any solid research to back up the claims. Even though the imaging techniques have reportedly been used in some 700 operations since 2011, the story offers no data showing whether outcomes in those procedures were better than standard practices.
Every surgical procedure carries risk and demands that patients go in with their eyes wide open. News about big advances raise hopes among patients and doctors alike, but if no data is provided then the information is little more than marketing material. And even if the technology lives up to claims, it can’t prevent surgical error due to medical negligence.
In the event of such mistakes, victims need reassurance about whether they have a case and that their rights for seeking due compensation can be upheld. At the Law Office of Robert A. Miller, we stand ready to help. Contact us for a free initial consultation about your case.