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When a doctor is forced to surrender his or her medical license, it often comes on the heels of serious allegations. This can include unprofessional conduct, surgical errors, improper opioid prescriptions, and sexual misconduct with patients.  Surrendering medical licenses can relieve doctors of further legal complications and social stigma. It may also keep the allegations...

The last nickname you want to be associated with your surgeon is “Dr. Death.” But that was the title of a popular podcast on the career of Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, which illustrates the dangers people face every day in hospitals across the country.  Placing Trust In A Surgeon Between 2010 and 2013, Duntsch performed surgery in a...

The Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, recently published a study of Veterans Affairs surgeons with the intent of tracking and improving communication between surgeons and patients.   The issue at hand was the question of how well surgeons inform patients after something goes wrong with a procedure. The results show...

Physicians are a trusted class within our society. They are tasked with putting patient needs and concerns first, while caring for individuals and avoiding harm. When this trust is broken, it can be devastating both physically and mentally. When doctors attempt to hide errors or wrongdoing, they can perpetually put the lives of patients at...

Doctors and other medical staff are highly trained professionals who generally seek to provide the best possible care. They are also human. Sometimes, they make mistakes. This includes failing to properly communicate important information to other medical staff. The stakes are high in healthcare. And while there are many things medical professionals and hospitals can...

In 1997, the National Patient Safety Foundation published a study on the frequency of medical errors that impacted patient care. This study has stood for 20 years, until researchers at the University of Chicago sought to update it. From May 12 to June 26, 2017, the researchers surveyed over 2,500 American adults to understand the...

We are in the midst of a significant nursing shortage that impacts the entire healthcare industry. Since nurses are functionally the backbone of the medical industry, doing a great deal of the paperwork and patient interaction needed, any problem that hurts their ability to safely do their job compromises the entire system. Shortages introduce problems...

One of the most important tools doctors use to keep their patients safe and healthy is accurate information. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals take years of training and regularly update their studies to ensure they know the best answers to give and the best tools to use. The addition of electronic health records (EHRs)...

Diagnostic errors are a significant threat to patients, especially those in dire need of immediate medical attention. A patient seeking treatment must place great trust in a doctor’s ability to correctly diagnose an injury or illness. Yet medical facilities that are busy, understaffed, or otherwise chaotic can result in an increased likelihood of suffering from...

Accurate diagnosis is the foundation of medical treatment. But, according to numerous studies, doctors get it wrong far too often. Diagnoses that are missed, incorrect or delayed are believed to affect 10 to 20 percent of cases, far exceeding drug errors and surgery on the wrong patient or body part, both of which have received considerably more...