Hospital Negligence & Malpractice – Common Types of Hospital Mistakes

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Hospitals are a big business these days. Nonprofit or not-for-profit hospitals simply do not exist the way they did 50 years ago. The hospital industry is a huge, for-profit industry, and many hospitals are owned, operated and run by large hospital operating companies. For example, one of the largest hospital operating companies in the U.S. owns and operates over 150 hospitals. It posted a whopping $1.6 billion dollar profit in 2012.

For-profit companies, like hospitals and hospital corporations, have one thing in mind: making as much money as possible. Oftentimes, hospitals are short-staffed, essentially forcing hospital employees to treat more patients than they should. This increases profits for the hospital, but also increases the likelihood of medical mistakes.

Some of the most common types of hospital mistakes include:

  • medication or prescription errors,
  • hospital-acquired infection (and failure to treat infection), and
  • negligence in diagnostic or radiology testing and procedures.

Medication errors can occur in many ways, such as, dosage errors and medication mix-ups. Medication errors can also occur when the patient is discharged from the hospital. Related: Hospital/Doctor Medication & Drug Mistakes in Pennsylvania

Hospital-acquired infections can be very fatal, if not quickly diagnosed and treated. In many cases of hospital-acquired infections, the hospital does not diagnose the infection in a timely manner.

Hospitals often make mistakes in a diagnostic setting, or the hospital’s radiology department makes an error. Tests, films and diagnoses can get mixed up, or the wrong procedures or tests may be ordered. For instance, a hospital may mix up two patients and administer the wrong test. If time is of the essence, the wrong test can lead to misdiagnosis which in turn can lead to unnecessary medical treatment.

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