A recent study concluded that fetal ECG readings don’t improve patient safety over only the use of standard heart rate monitoring during labor.
A recent Consumer Reports article describes a link between respectful treatment by health care works and fewer preventable medical errors. Unfortunately the converse is true: disrespectful doctors and nurses make more medical errors causing harm.
For years doctors have used glyburide for gestational diabetes, even though the FDA has never approved that it be used for such treatment. A new study suggests doing so may not be safe.
A new study includes guidelines for hospital stays of health term newborn infants. While such guidelines purport to not define the standard of care for a doctor or hospital in such situations, juries can be persuaded that they should have been followed in a given case.
The "Standard of Care" is something a jury decides, including not only evidence of how doctors in Washington state actually practice, but also what experts for both sides say is the standard.
Water births are uncommon in hospital settings, and it is unclear what different benefits and risks such procedures have relative to more traditional birthing procedures.
Wrongful birth cases are complicated, both medically and legally but also emotionally. Recovering for the wrongful birth of a child is allowed in Washington state, and the rationale behind it is sound.
The Joint Commission’s review of "sentinel events" in hospitals works to understand why mistakes were made and how hospitals can avoid them in the future.
The United States has a shockingly high infant mortality rate compared with other countries.
Doctors and other health care providers, just like all of us, have a hard time admitting mistakes. Unfortunately, in their line of work mistakes can cause tragic harm, and without admitting those mistakes and improving safety, patients will continue to be harmed.
