New York Malpractice & Injury Lawyer Blog

Midwives provide one of the oldest forms of healthcare. These professionals provide healthcare, but they are not medical doctors. They are trained to assist women in delivering babies, and they are trained to know when a delivery is posing a danger to the mother or infant. Some midwives are also registered nurses, or nurse midwives.

Financial Responsibility

Because most midwives are not licensed medical professionals, they cannot be sued for medical malpractice. This comes as a surprise to some, especially when their children suffer birth injuries as a result of mistakes made by midwives.

There’s a good chance you or someone you know has faced cancer at some point. For most patients, the cancer is treatable, thanks to new advances in treatment and technology. Unfortunately, there will be about 600,000 deaths associated with cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Some treatments simply aren’t aggressive or effective enough to eliminate cancer cells, regardless of their cause.

Some doctors may avoid certain treatments because they may be experimental or dangerous. Because some patients don’t fully understand their sickness and their options, they don’t ask about these other kinds of treatment options. Further, many patients didn’t fully understand the full nature of their terminal illness. In a recent study published in the The Journal of Clinical Oncology, only 5 percent of all terminal cancer patients completely understood their diagnosis.

How the Study Was Conducted

Children rely on adults for so many things. They look to us to keep them safe, prevent hurt feelings and even cure them when they are ill. Because they are not old enough to speak up for themselves, it is important that you understand how to prevent medication errors in little ones.

1. Provide Information

Every medical professional that your child sees should know what medication they are currently on or have been on. This is easier done if you keep a type of medical journal for your child. Write down any visits they have had, medications they have taken and allergies you have discovered. Share this information with all of the medical providers that see your child.

The National Institutes of Health recently discovered that of people aged 65 or older, 40% take five or more prescription medications daily. At least 90% of this age group takes one prescription. In the same study, the NIH determined that at least 55% of seniors take their medication incorrectly. Here are the most common medication errors among seniors.

1. Overdosing

Overdoses are the top cause of medication fatalities among seniors. Those drugs that have abuse potential are the most likely to be misused. Examples of these include Percocet, Xanax and Adderall.

In many cases, medical malpractice is obvious. A doctor fails to diagnose a patient, a medical professional prescribes the wrong medication, or a surgeon leaves something in your body during a procedure. In other cases, medical malpractice is not so clear cut. Instances of medical abandonment, for example, are much more subtle.

Exactly what is medical abandonment? In plain English, medical abandonment occurs when a doctor or other medical professional ends the doctor/patient relationship. Further, the relationship is ended when the patient still needs care and the doctor ending the relationship has not made provisions for that continuing care. When a patient needs care, medical professionals are required to provide it or make arrangements for the person to be cared for.

Here are some examples of medical abandonment: