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A patient relies on his or her doctor to prescribe drugs that are appropriate. Any breach of that trust might constitute negligence on the part of a health care professional. Yet around 20 percent of prescriptions that primary care providers give to senior patients --...
Despite remarkable improvements in medical technology, patients in Oregon and nationwide continue to be injured by medical negligence, such as surgical errors. A new survey suggests that doctor burnout may be a prime culprit. The survey was led by researchers from the...
An estimated 10% of all visits to emergency departments in Oregon and nationwide may involve patients whose symptoms suggest acute myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as heart attack. However, that diagnosis often requires several hours of observation, and may...
An internal investigation prompted by a letter from a former nurse at HCA -- the largest for-profit hospital chain in the United States with 163 facilities -- revealed that unnecessary testing may have been the norm in the hospital's cardiology department. The finding...
Medical technicians in Oregon and nationwide aren't as closely regulated as doctors or nurses. Whereas a national database exists for tracking misconduct or disciplinary actions against physicians, many states don't maintain a comparable database for technicians or...
Drug-induced injuries remain a real threat for patients in Oregon and nationwide. Injuries can result when a person reacts poorly to a certain drug, or when a combination of drugs proves dangerous. Sometimes, a drug might be prescribed before it is safe to do so or...
When Oregon patients check in to a hospital, their thoughts may be preoccupied with the main surgical or medical procedure they will be receiving. However, the opportunity for medical error is not confined to that event. A recent university study suggests that lower...
A jury recently awarded $4 million to the estate of a woman in a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging hospital and staff negligence. The woman's estate claimed that hospital nurses failed to notify staff of the woman's latex allergy, resulting in her wrongful death....
A prescription typically requires the involvement of several health care professionals. A doctor initiates the process by diagnosing a patient's condition. A nurse may transcribe a doctor's notes and send the authorization to a pharmacy. A pharmacist, in turn, must...
According to projections based on a 2010 report from the Department of Health and Human Services, infections, surgical mistakes and other medical harm contribute to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year. Of that number, a significant portion of injuries are...