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Medical malpractice incidents linked to burnout in doctors

On Behalf of | Jul 20, 2018 | Medical Malpractice

When those in Louisiana visit a medical professional for treatment, they believe they will receive the correct diagnosis, be given the proper medication, and be treated well so they can get better. However, reality says that medical mistakes will happen. Mistakes can lead to a worsened condition, serious injury, long-term damage and even death. Those involved in an accident will often question how and why it happened. One new study shows that doctors in America might be making errors due to burnout.

In the survey, in which 6,700 physicians took part, they were asked various questions related to workplace safety, medical mistakes and other indicators of burn out. These include being depressed, fatigued, and contemplating suicide. Greater than 10 percent of the participants admitted to having made one major medical error in the three months before they took part in the study. It was found that doctors who had burnout were twice as likely to have made a mistake. Researchers state that burnout is preventable and should be addressed.

Since medical professionals are in a high-pressure atmosphere, they are more prone to being burned out. Burnout can impact their judgment, cause problems diagnosing issues, and lead to technical errors during procedures. In other studies, burnout caused doctors to make dosing mistakes or prescription mistakes. They did not order the necessary number of lab tests. Patients fell, became infected and even died when it could have been avoided. Other research shows that there could be as many as 200,000 fatalities on an annual basis because of medical errors. As many as one-half of doctors are viewed as experiencing burnout. Burnout surpassed workplace safety as a problem with 55 percent saying they felt its effects.

When a person is injured or a loved one is lost because of surgical errors, medical mistakes or other issues when receiving treatment, the family should be aware of what they will face in the aftermath. There can be increased medical expenses, long-term damage, lost wages, the need for extended care and death. Having legal assistance is vital to determine the cause and move forward with a legal filing. A law firm experienced in medical malpractice is essential to a claim.

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