A veteran physician of 25 years, and a health industry executive, recently journeyed through a health issue with his father. His observations with one Washington DC practice opened his eyes to the problems prevalent in the medical industry today.
The doctor’s father was diagnosed with a cataract and needed to have it removed. From the diagnosis to the removal, the doctor observed at least 10 mistakes.
It started with the diagnostic machine in the eye doctor’s office. It was broken, so the patient had to drive to another office, 40 miles away. The opthamologist at that location did not know why the patient was there and ended up focusing on a different issue.
On the day of the surgery, the doctor’s father ate breakfast because no one had told him that he couldn’t eat prior to being anesthetized. They had to cancel his surgery and the next available date was three weeks away. In the meantime, he was asked to fill a prescription for eye drops. The instructions on the prescription were for the wrong eye.
On the rescheduled day of the surgery, the nurse that was inserting the IV did not wash her hands, nor was she wearing gloves. Another nurse came in to verify which eye was to be operated on and found that there was no consent signed by the surgeon. She had to spend another 20 minutes trying to find it.
In addition to these blatant mistakes, the doctor also noted that the chairs and tables in the waiting area were dirty and the bathrooms were in terrible shape. He also heard surgeons talking openly with families about patients.
Changes to the medical industry were made to improve the quality of care while reducing mistakes. Unfortunately that has not been the result. There is still much progress to be made.
If you have experienced medical malpractice in Washington DC or Virginia, call our trusted attorneys at Shevlin Smith today. We can help you navigate the recovery process.
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