A medical malpractice claim can be against any worker in a healthcare setting, including the administrative staff (medical records, human resources and finance departments, among other staff members). A mistake can happen before or after a patient meets with a physician, leading to injuries.
Here are two examples of administrative malpractice:
Errors when collecting information
When you get to a hospital, the front desk staff will collect your details before sending you to other departments. They will record your name, the symptoms you are experiencing, medical history, history of allergic reactions and so on – any information that will help the respective physician understand your condition.
If they make an error when collecting information, perhaps fail to record an allergic reaction or record information incorrectly, your doctor may make an incorrect decision, as they considerably depend on information from the front desk.
Test result errors
If a physician orders a test to diagnose your condition, your specimen will be handled by an administrator, which, in most cases, is a specimen processor. They are responsible for collecting samples from patients, labeling them and performing data entry.
If the administrator mislabels a specimen, for example, puts the information of another patient on your specimen, you may receive a wrong diagnosis and medications, which can lead to severe consequences.
Another error that can happen is losing tests or results. Cases of a patient’s specimens or test results missing are not uncommon. This error can worsen a condition, as the physician will order the patient to retake the test and wait for results. If this is your experience, you will have to wait longer to receive treatment that could have begun sooner.
You may receive substandard care in a hospital due to the action of an administrative staff member. With legal guidance, you should determine the best way to approach your case.
