Are you considering having an elective procedure?
When people start researching medical procedures they’re considering there are usually two factors that matter most ,cost and recovery time. While those are both important factors to consider, there’s something much more important than price you should be researching.
Patient safety.
Here’s the issue:
Medical negligence during elective procedures is more common than you think. And because they are procedures that are voluntarily chosen by patients, there’s often a false sense of security that everything will be fine.
Don’t fall into that trap.
But here’s the good news. By asking the right questions before any elective procedure, you can greatly reduce your chances that something goes wrong. You can ensure you’re giving yourself every advantage… by taking control of your healthcare decisions.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this post:
- Why You Should Be Concerned About Negligence During Elective Procedures
- What Questions You Should Be Asking Before ANY Procedure
- How To Research A Doctor’s Background
- What To Do If You Believe You’ve Been Victimized By Medical Negligence
Why You Should Be Concerned About Negligence During Elective Procedures
Elective procedures aren’t always as safe as you think.
Medical errors are a leading cause of death in America. Period.
Recent research from Johns Hopkins found that medical errors caused over 250,000 deaths each year in the U.S. That puts doctor mistakes well ahead of fatal diseases like respiratory disease.
But here’s the kicker…
A huge portion of those errors happened during procedures that weren’t emergencies. From cosmetic treatments to knee surgery… any procedure can carry unnecessary risk if done negligently.
Medical negligence isn’t always obvious. It can look like surgery done on the wrong patient. Or a failure to take a patient’s medical history into consideration. Or even a doctor not properly explaining all the risks of a procedure.
When doctors cut corners or don’t provide the accepted standard of care, patients have the right to seek legal guidance from a medical malpractice attorney to understand their options after an injury.
The point is… you have every right to feel safe before going into any elective procedure.
What Questions You Should Be Asking Before ANY Procedure
There are certain questions you should be asking your doctor before agreeing to any procedure. Not to be difficult… but to be safe.
These are the questions that every patient should ask:
- “What are the risks of this surgery?” Every procedure comes with risks. A good doctor will lay out exactly what those risks are… and what they could mean for you in plain English. If they try to brush this question aside or make you feel dumb for asking, beware.
- “How often have you performed this procedure?” Would you trust a brain surgeon who had performed the surgery five times? Of course not. Experience matters and can mean the difference between life and death.
- “What would we do if something goes wrong?” Any doctor that gets uncomfortable with this question deserves discomfort right back. Patients should know what the plan is for handling complications before they happen, not after.
- “Can you show me your rates of complications?” This may feel like an invasive question but doctors should have no problem providing you this data.
- “What will recovery actually look like?” Real recovery, not the “best case scenario”. You deserve to know what to expect.
Asking these questions can help you sniff out medical negligence before it ever has a chance to happen. Doctors that respect these questions, and patients enough to answer them thoroughly, are doctors that deserve your trust. Doctors that won’t… aren’t worth your time.
How To Research A Doctor’s Background
Along with asking the right questions, it pays to do your own homework.
Verify their credentials. Google might not be able to tell you if your doctor is legit… but your state medical board can. Do a quick search to verify they’re board certified in their specialty. It should also be able to tell you if they’ve had any disciplinary actions taken against them in the past.
Beyond confirming they know what they’re doing, you should research where they’ll be doing it. Hospitals and surgical centers have errors too!
Research published in The BMJ found that systemic failures such as poorly coordinated care and lack of safety protocols led to more mistakes and patient injuries. In other words, just because you have a skilled surgeon doesn’t mean you should trust the facility they’ll be working in.
Look for these red flags:
- Poor online reviews from past patients
- A hospital that isn’t accredited by a healthcare organization
- A doctor who has been sued for malpractice
Doing your due diligence may take an hour or two. But it may keep you from spending the rest of your life wondering “what if?”.
What To Do If You Believe You’ve Been Victimized By Medical Negligence
Research and asking questions can help patients avoid negligence. But that doesn’t mean it’s always avoidable.
If you think you or a loved one may have been the victim of medical malpractice during an elective procedure, time is of the essence.
First, get your medical records. Every patient is legally entitled to their medical records. Once you request them, make sure you keep copies of everything.
Second, document everything. While things are fresh in your mind, write down a timeline of events. Be sure to include dates, names of nurses and doctors, what you were told, and symptoms that you experienced.
Third, get a second opinion. Another doctor can help you determine if the care you received met the proper standard of care.
Next, consult a lawyer. Medical malpractice cases are very complicated and require you to file a lawsuit within a certain timeframe. Just like with doctors, you want to make sure you find a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice.
You don’t have to go through the process alone. Taking these steps creates a paper trail that can help medical malpractice lawyers help you seek justice.
Plus, it helps future patients from falling victim to the same negligence.
The Takeaway
Money isn’t everything.
Just because you have a limited budget for an elective procedure doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask the tough questions or do your homework. To bring it all back home:
- Ask questions about risk factors and procedures
- Verify their background with your state medical board
- Research the hospital just as much as you would a doctor
- Know what to do if you’re injured as a result of negligence
Medical negligence is never 100% preventable. But it is significantly more avoidable when you as a patient hold your providers accountable. A few hours of research now can protect you from a lifetime of injury or regret.
