Challenges Faced by Patients Who Are Injured During a Hospital Stay
The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter discusses challenges faced by patients who are injured while in hospital care.
Hospitals are among the most unlikely places that patients in need of medical assistance expect to be injured. Unfortunately, a number of patients are faced with hospital acquired injuries or infections when admitted for treatment.
Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospital-acquired infections are caused by viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens; the most common types are bloodstream infection (BSI), pneumonia (eg, ventilator-associated pneumonia [VAP]), urinary tract infection (UTI), and surgical site infection (SSI).
For more information about hospital-acquired infections, please visit http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/967022-overview.
These can lead to a range of challenges including the worsening of their conditions with the result that they require more extensive medical help, or worse.
Hospital-acquired infections take toll
“One in 20 patients acquire infections while receiving care at U.S. hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“Though studies have estimated the number of deaths nationwide — one study this year said as many as 400,000 patients may be dying every year from preventable harms — hospitals are not required to track whether patients who acquire infections recover or die.”
For more information about hospital-acquired infections, please visit http://www.telegram.com/article/20140105/NEWS/301059939/1116.
With rising health care costs, a number of medical insurance providers are seeking to reduce their costs by putting an end to insurance payments to hospitals for treatment linked to preventable medical errors. Some suggest the move could lead to an improvement in health care quality, while others fear that it will have the opposite effect. Regardless of which side of the debate one is on, the fact remains that measures should be taken to prevent the high rate of injuries to patients in hospitals.
Medical malpractice lawyers like those with The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter do their part to try to improve the circumstances for patients when it comes to hospital safety. The New York medical malpractice attorneys at the firm assert that when patients bring medical malpractice claims when they sustain a medical injury, it forces accountability on those liable. There are challenges, notes the firm, which patients are in most cases unprepared to face without the appropriate legal advocacy. These include attempts by hospitals to eschew responsibility and force undue medical costs on patients for the treatment required as a result of a hospital error.
The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter is available to help New York patients who have been injured in a hospital setting with their medical malpractice claims. Individuals can contact the New York medical malpractice law firm today for a free case review to assess their legal options in these matters.