How Communication Mistakes Can Lead to Medical Malpractice

There is a lot that goes into quality medical care. While experience and training are of the highest importance, there are other factors that also play a key role in providing patients with an exceptional level of attention. Compassion, understanding, responsiveness, and communication are some examples of other components that matter. When any of the pieces of medical care is neglected, the outcome can be catastrophic for the patient.

Communication, in specific, should be considered when determining which medical professionals are right for you. Doctors and their medical staff should be committed to taking all precautions and providing customer-centric medical care and services. If they have poor communication skills, this could greatly affect how they work with you and could even negatively impact your health. 

When communication is lacking and mistakes are made that harm you, it could be possible that a medical malpractice suit is the right approach to remedy your situation. The Cincinnati injury lawyers at The Green Law Firm can talk with you about your situation and identify potential options that could exist to help you recover compensation for your damages.

When Can Communication Mistakes be Harmful to Patients?

If communication between medical staff or between medical providers and their patients is deficient, a patient’s health and wellbeing are on the line. It is possible that poor communication or problems with information transfer can be harmful to a patient.

One medical professional liability company, CRICO Strategies, found that as high as 30% of all medical malpractice cases stemmed from communication mishaps. The medical malpractice cases this insurer examined included outcomes of both severe injuries as well as death.

When providing treatment and care to a patient, it is a combined effort between the doctor, the patient, and the medical support staff. If there is no communication or the wrong information is relayed, this can have serious health implications for the patient. 

Some examples of miscommunication issues that can lead to patient harm include:

• If a patient has surgery they will likely then be cared for and monitored by a nurse after their procedure. Any issues that are noticed or identified by the nurse should be reported to the surgeon. So if a patient informs the nurse that they are experiencing problems that are suspicious and their oxygen, blood cell levels, or other vitals are displaying that an issue exists but the nurse does not tell the surgeon, the patient could be severely harmed or die without treatment.
• If a patient is calling their doctor with an issue but the support staff does not get that message to the patient’s provider, the provider may not call them back. If the condition is time-critical, the patient could suffer injuries or die.
• Communication failures in the operating room can easily lead to missteps that can hurt the patient.
• A doctor that does not call their patient back when there are problematic medical test results that require attention will leave the patient in the dark as to taking the right steps to address it.

These are just some examples of the importance of communication and the disastrous outcomes that can result in its absence.

Speak with a Cincinnati Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you were harmed by medical malpractice or if you lost a loved one because of it, a medical malpractice attorney in Cincinnati can help. There is a limited amount of time to file a medical malpractice claim in Ohio. Call The Green Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation at (513) 769-0840.