There is a significant responsibility that comes with being a doctor, surgeon or other health care professional in Pennsylvania. People who are suffering from discomforting symptoms, diseases and illnesses rely on these medical professionals to provide them with thorough care and to treat them in ways that are safe and provide long-term relief on their road to recovery.
Because medical professionals are just as likely to commit a human error as anyone else, precautions and protocols are put into place to help them minimize the chance they make critical mistakes that could upend the lives of the people they treat. According to kevinmd.com, it is suggested that the determination of a medical mistake versus something bad happening that was not necessarily in control of the medical professionals who were treating the patient, are blurred and can create a bit of gray area when accountability must be determined.
Patients can protect their safety by spending adequate time researching the medical professionals in their area to find one they trust, get along with and are comfortable communicating openly with. They should be educated about their condition and forthright in addressing their concerns or asking questions related to their diagnosis and treatment.
Hospitalsafetygrade.org encourages patients who have been the victims of medical malpractice to expect a sincere apology from the person responsible for the error. Even if the patient is unable to overcome the emotional trauma of the incident and accept the apology, a sincere apology should absolutely be expected. Injured patients should also ask for evidence of implementations that have been made to prevent the same error from happening to someone else in the future.