Having a healthy and productive relationship with the physician overseeing your physical health is important. A healthy relationship could deter the possibility of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice occurs when a physician is negligent through their actions or by omission leaving a cause for legal action. This could include prescribing wrong medication, misdiagnosis, or even performing the wrong procedure due to having the wrong charts.
As a patient, you have much more authority in the doctor’s office than you know. Using your authority in a positive and assertive way shows your physician that you are someone worthy of respect and that you have knowledge of what is going on. It also demonstrates that you are not one who will overlook a matter when something is wrong. If you believe that you have been a victim, our West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorneys will fight to get full compensation for you.
Here are 5 tips to avoid a medical malpractice suit.
Establish good rapport with your physician and the team they work with.
Being polite goes a long way. When you enter the room, embrace everyone with a smile and treat them with kindness. Because kindness has become scarce, it makes you stand out. It is easy to care for people who are kind. It also helps to remember that their job is not always easy.
Ask questions when in doubt.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Your question could clarify that your physician does not understand your issue in its entirety, the wrong medication may be prescribed, and you gain more knowledge. If your physician suggests a certain medication, ask for a Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) and use it to see if this medication is what you need. Most physicians prescribe what they are familiar with and it may not always be right for you.
Take notes at every visit.
Your notes will help you put your visit together from start to finish. You can see what questions you asked and how they were answered. You will also be able to document how long you waited to be seen and how long the doctor spent with you. This is important because it will show you if your doctor is willing to take the time to carefully answer your questions and assess what you need. While doctors are busy, you still deserve proper care and you are worth their time.
Speak up!
Many patients become shy about speaking up because they fear being mistreated. However, this is why you want to make your voice be heard. When a physician sees that you are willing to defend and uphold your rights and remind them of their obligations as a physician, it is hard to mistreat that kind of patient. They do not want to have a medical malpractice suit on their hands. So, they will make the proper adjustments to ensure you are cared for properly.
Get a second opinion.
As a patient, it is okay to ask for a second opinion. This does not mean that you do not trust the word of your physician. It does mean that you do not agree with the diagnosis fully and would like to have the information reviewed. There are tons of reasons for a misdiagnosis which is a type of medical malpractice. Some include machines not functioning properly, technicians misreading tests, charts being mixed up, etc.
We have handled cases that could have been avoided using these five tips. While using these tips can help you avoid this issue, we understand that you or someone you know may have been involved with a medical malpractice incident. If that is the case, Lichtblau & Goldenberg attorneys have been representing West Palm Beach medical malpractice clients for over 30 years and we want to help you get through it.
Contact the offices of Lichtblau & Goldenberg for a consultation today.