The emergency room fills a critical role in the modern health care system. People don’t always have the opportunity to wait for a medical appointment. They may sustain critical injuries or develop worsening symptoms over the weekend or late at night when every other medical facility has closed.
Emergency rooms provide people with immediate access to medical care in many cases. They also allow for admission to the hospital. People showing up at the emergency room may expect a long wait. However, they likely anticipate receiving prompt and appropriate care once professionals have an opportunity to talk with them.
Unfortunately, medical mistakes in emergency rooms are shockingly common. Patients and families harmed by emergency room mistakes sometimes need to pursue medical malpractice lawsuits afterward.
Triage procedures do not lead to the best care standards
Emergency room employees often have to make snap judgments about an individual’s condition. Particularly when there are more patients than available beds at the facility, emergency room workers have to make difficult decisions.
The triage process involves assessing the overall condition of a patient. While the most severe cases often take priority, health care workers also need to consider the likelihood of the patient actually responding to treatment. Emergency room workers typically take an individual’s vitals, evaluate their symptoms and then either prescribe them medication or admit them to the hospital.
In some cases, people get turned away from the emergency room with neither treatment nor a diagnosis. According to an evaluation of reported diagnostic errors, more than seven million patients experience diagnostic errors in emergency rooms every year.
Some patients undergo treatment that they do not require and that has no positive impact on their medical condition. Others do not receive the care that they require. They may end up turned away from the facility, only to have their conditions significantly worsen. Cancer, cardiac issues and strokes are among the various conditions that can have catastrophic consequences if doctors don’t diagnose them promptly.
People who have experienced diagnostic errors and those who have lost a loved one due to diagnostic issues may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim. If other health care professionals can reach an appropriate diagnosis when reviewing the details of the case, then what the patient experienced may constitute malpractice.
Pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit over emergency room errors can help people recover lost wages and increased medical expenses. A successful malpractice lawsuit can compensate the people harmed by medical errors and can motivate for-profit facilities to adjust how they treat patients in the emergency room.