The moment you walk into a doctor’s office or are admitted to a hospital, a team of medical professionals will care for you. That team has a wide array of responsibilities, with training and education all dedicated to one goal: taking care of your medical needs. One of the most important elements of achieving that goal is strong communication. Without that, errors can occur.
Sometimes those communication errors can be caught early and rectified. When a significant communication gap exists between staff, specialists, and the doctor, it can lead to serious complications that rise to the level of an actionable medical malpractice claim.
If you are concerned that your doctor or a hospital staff member caused you harm, you need to speak with a knowledgeable Jackson medical malpractice lawyer. Your attorney can help determine if your claim has merit and what should happen next.
Common Hospital Communication Errors That Can Lead to Malpractice
Communication failures can occur at virtually any stage of a patient’s hospital stay or a doctor’s visit. These errors are usually not intentional, but they can happen more easily when staff are caring for many patients at once. Communication errors can have particularly serious consequences in emergency departments, intensive care units, and surgical settings, where treatment decisions often must be made quickly.
Some common examples of potential communication errors include:
Incomplete Patient Handoffs
During a hospital stay, rotating shifts of nurses and doctors care for you. One of the most crucial times is the handoff when shifts change. When a nurse or physician fails to communicate critical information during a shift change or when transferring a patient between departments, it can lead to complications. A study published in the Journal of Patient Safety found communication failures in 49% of the malpractice claims it reviewed, and 40% of those failures involved a failed handoff between health care professionals.
Failure to Report Test Results
To diagnose your condition and track your progress, your doctor will order lab and imaging tests. If those laboratory findings, abnormal imaging results, or other diagnostic information are not promptly communicated to the treating physician, it can lead to health complications.
Medication Miscommunication
When your doctor prescribes medication, they will write up an order. Most of these orders are communicated electronically or in writing. If the order is unclear, or the pharmacist or nurse who handles it misreads it, you could receive the wrong drug or dose, or a medication that interacts dangerously with one you already take.
Poor Communication Between Specialists
Your doctor will often refer you to a specialist. Sometimes specialists fail to coordinate results or provide conflicting instructions, which can delay treatment.
Inadequate Patient Discharge Instructions
When you leave the hospital, you should be given thorough discharge instructions. Without essential information about medications, warning signs, follow-up appointments, or necessary medical care, your condition could be compromised.
Incomplete Medical Records
Missing or inaccurate documentation can prevent your doctor from understanding your condition or treatment history.
Proving a Communication Error Caused Your Injury
If you are pursuing a medical malpractice claim, you must provide evidence detailing the specific communication error that led to your health issues. Before you can file a medical malpractice claim, your attorney will generally need to consult with a qualified medical expert about your records and conclude there’s a reasonable basis to proceed.
Establishing that a communication error caused your injury requires more than showing that a doctor, nurse, or other health care professional failed to share important information. Under Mississippi medical malpractice law, you must demonstrate that the communication breakdown violated the accepted standard of medical care and directly contributed to your injury.
The evidence that can help establish a connection between the communication failure and your injuries includes the following:
- Medical records
- Physician notes
- Nursing reports
- Electronic health records
- Laboratory and imaging results
- Hospital policies
- Medical expert testimony
An experienced Mississippi medical malpractice attorney can help obtain and evaluate this evidence and identify the health care providers or institutions potentially responsible for your injuries.
How a Jackson Medical Malpractice Attorney Can Help
When a hospital communication error causes serious injury, determining who is responsible can be challenging. Multiple health care professionals are often involved in your treatment. That makes it difficult to identify where critical information was overlooked or misunderstood. At Pittman Roberts & Welsh, PLLC, we firmly believe negligent medical providers should be held accountable for their errors.
Our legal team can obtain and review medical records, electronic communications, and hospital procedures to identify potential failures in your care. We’ll also consult with qualified medical professionals who can review your care. Our goal is to show clearly how the breakdown in your care harmed you and to seek fair compensation.
If you or a loved one suffered harm because of a hospital communication failure, you deserve accountability. Reach out to our firm to schedule a free consultation. We can discuss your experience and decide together if you have the grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
