Medical errors include, but are not limited to, the misdiagnosis and/or mismanagement of an ailment that a patient is afflicted with. As discussed previously on our blog, medical malpractice has been found to be the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. But did you also know that in a recent survey of more than 6,000 physicians, 96% felt diagnostic errors were preventable?
Medical errors can result in extreme, lifelong preventable injuries in affected patients. Medical malpractice suits can help to reduce the risk of medical error, as the threat of medical malpractice suits motivate hospitals to continually develop plans to improve patient care guidelines.
The infographic below, created by weisspaarz, illustrates the basics of medical error, stats about repeat offenders and how to protect yourself through awareness.