medical malpractice: November 2010

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

How to Prevent Medication Errors

By James Witherspoon
A simple prescription mistake can result in serious injuries. Due to the large number of medications available, as well as their complex effects, doctors can occasionally make errors and cause innocent people pain and suffering. These mistakes are currently the leading form of medical malpractice in America. Victims of this negligence may be able to pursue lawsuits against the responsible parties. These cases will often times end in compensation for the victim.

Causes of Medication Errors

In order to prevent medication injuries, it is important to learn about the common mistakes medical professionals make in the pharmaceutical field. Doctors are notorious for having poor handwriting. Poor handwriting can lead to a pharmacist misreading the prescription and filing it incorrectly or with the wrong dosage. Simple negligence in matching medications to the bottle can also endanger someone's life. Taking the wrong medication can be deadly, especially if a person has a drug allergy. A medical professional that fails to carefully read a patient's medical history can cause serious injury. Both doctors and pharmacists should be aware of all possible interactions and side effects that may endanger the health of a patient.

Protecting Yourself From Injuries

Even though your doctor is responsible for prescribing medicines safely, a patient's actions may be able to ward off some serious injuries. Important steps to take include:

* Informing you doctor of all allergies
* Bringing current prescriptions to doctors
* Memorizing your medications and their dosages and checking this information against the pills you are given
* Researching the of side effects of medications you are prescribed

This form of medical malpractice can be absolutely devastating. Luckily, in many cases, mistakes can be caught before they cause serious harm.

Preventing Postnatal Infections

By James Witherspoon
Children are particularly susceptible to infection when they are first born. Children's immune systems will strengthen as they grow, but upon birth, even a mild illness can be damaging. Postnatal infections can occur easily because of the change of environment that occurs for every newborn. Any harmful environmental factor is even more dangerous to a child who has never been exposed to different bacterias and pathogens.

Infections can arise from exposure to any number of environmental factors. This is why hospital hygiene is so important. If a newborn comes in contact with medical equipment that is not properly cleaned, they could easily and quickly contract a dangerous infection. If medical staff does not undergo the proper cleaning procedure before handling a newborn child, they could also be exposing the child to harmful germs and diseases that their body is not prepared to fight off.

Contact can come in a number of different forms and does not require lengthy exposure to unleash a harmful infection in the body of a small child. Infections can be spread through direct contact, like skin-to-skin contact. It can also be passed from indirect contact, or droplet contact.

There are also other types of transmission that can occur, including airborne transmission and common vehicle transmission. Airborne transmission may occur from something as simple as a sneeze or cough that is inhaled by the child. Common vehicle transmission is an issue of improper cleaning. An infection is spread by an object coming in contact with two different parties.http://ezinearticles.com/?Preventing-Postnatal-Infections&id=5291683

I Want to Claim Compensation for Medical Negligence - Who Do I Consult?

By Tim Bishop
The term 'medical negligence' (often referred to as clinical negligence) is a breach of duty of medical care that you have received whereby, as a result, you have incurred injury or illness.

So you entrusted yourself to the doctor or nurse, thinking that you would get the best medical and nursing care. Isn't that what the NHS or private care is about?

Later, when you came round from your operation, something felt wrong. You just knew, but didn't dare suggest, that something had gone wrong that should not have done, and you suspect it was due to medical negligence.

You would like some advice and an explanation but aren't sure who you should talk to. Who will listen? Your GP will probably dismiss it and the hospital consultant will talk medical jargon and fob you off. All these medics will stick together, surely, and you will be left feeling helpless.

It plays on your mind, the more time moves on and your injury affects you; you begin to wonder if you could be entitled to make a compensation claim. Could a medical negligence lawyer help you? You are convinced the injury was caused by a breach in standards of duty during the course of your treatment. You're not certain, but you think that the anaesthetist might be the one to blame.

Surely this was clinical negligence? Yet no-one seems prepared to listen. You feel foolish and uneducated and everyone thinks you're 'just imagining it'.

Well, it's a long list. Medical negligence claims can arise out of anaesthetics, cancer treatment, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, gastroenterology, general practice, keyhole surgery, mental health treatments, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, paediatrics, plastic surgery, psychiatry, radiology, radiography, sterilisation, urology, vascular surgery and many more.

Personal injuries may also include brain damage, psychological injury or nervous shock. In extreme cases, death can occur in any one of these clinical speciality areas of medicine.

There is someone who can, and will, listen - and take your case seriously. That person is a trained medical negligence solicitor who is specially qualified to handle this emotional and sensitive area of law.

If you aren't sure whether medical standards have been breached, or would like someone to look into your case, talk to an experienced medical negligence solicitor. This professional will guide you through what may be a long and difficult process, requiring medical examination, review of your personal medical notes and, possibly, fierce cross examination by a barrister acting for you in Court.http://ezinearticles.com/?I-Want-to-Claim-Compensation-for-Medical-Negligence---Who-Do-I-Consult?&id=5307450

Thrombolytic Medication

By James Witherspoon
Perhaps one of the most useful additions to modern medicine, thrombolytics are a class of drug that is used to break apart blood clots that could otherwise prove life-threatening. Using these medications can provide the necessary pharmaceutical assistance to bust apart blood clots in the body, preventing extreme damages like a heart attack or certain types of stroke. As, in both of these cases, a clot can restrict blood flow to absolutely vital systems, causing potentially permanent damage or weakening that can lead to further harm, thrombolytics are an invaluable medical tool.

While these drugs are extremely useful in saving the lives of patients, they can also present serious risks for those who are either treated improperly or those who react poorly to the medication. Naturally, there are some patients who simply will not react to the presence of thrombolytics very well, causing them to suffer embolisms, strokes, or other blood problems.

The occurrence of a stroke can be a potential side-effect of thrombolytics, although the hemorrhaging associated with this resultant stroke may actually occur anywhere these drugs are applied locally. As thrombolytics may destroy a blood clot, which causes what is known as an ischemic stroke, they may also trigger a hemorrhagic stroke, which is the second major cause for brain damage.

One serious concern for anyone in thrombolytic therapy is past use. It is possible that, due to previous treatments, a patient builds up an allergy to thrombolytics, causing adverse side-effects when they are re-introduced. If this is the case, the physician needs to know and recognize that thrombolytic treatment may not be the wisest course of treatment. Considering that the inflammation associated with allergies could make later treatment more delicate, this should be something that healthcare practitioners take serious note of.

Here Are Tips on Medical Malpractice and How to Handle It

By John Bramlet
Everyone has heard the story of the person that came home from having surgery only to pass away mysteriously. When the autopsy was performed a scalpel or forceps were found to be mistakenly sown up inside the patient. Medical malpractice doesn't have to be that extreme or result in death. It is simply defined as any error on the doctor's part that adds to your pain and suffering. By that definition the stethoscope that they keep at sub-zero temperatures before using on you would be bordering on malpractice.

The statistics on medical malpractice are misleading because studies show that it only happens in less than 1% of patients. That seems like it is within tolerable limits doesn't it? Not when you do the math and find out that it translates to over 200,000 injuries and over 98,000 deaths per year due to medical malpractice. I am not saying that doctors are monsters and do not care about their patients. In fact it is more due to workload than anything else. Surveys show that 25% of hospital residents spend over 75 hours per week on call. Even after residency is finished many surgeons admit to being on call over 70 hours per week. Now think about how tired you are after a forty hour work week, then double that and put peoples lives on the line. The numbers are actually even worse than that in private practices like your family doctor. It is no surprise that mistakes happen but that doesn't mean that the victims should not be compensated for it.

If you believe that your doctor has hurt you or misdiagnosed your condition then you should contact a personal injury lawyer. A general practice attorney will not have the skills that you need. A personal injury attorney will have the training necessary to gain access to your medical records from the hospital. They will also work closely with medical experts that are able to look over the doctors actions and give an impartial opinion about what was done. Often times the expert will be needed to do further research or ask questions of a technical nature to get to the truth of the claims. Once you start the ball rolling, you can sit back and heal while your attorney works on your behalf. In most cases the longer it drags on the better it is for you because the hospital or doctor will settle out of court just to make the case go away. If you are a victim of medical malpractice then don't delay, contact an attorney today.

A Brief Talking About Medical Claims

By Brad Marc
Can you explain me when do we ask for medical claims or to specific medical compensation claims?

Yes, you are absolutely right. Medical compensation claims are asked for when you face with an accident that requires for medical supervision, and you have medical insurance policy under your name, that is the time when you demand for medical claims in order to undergo the expensive medical treatments required to be done in order to heal the injury.

Various corporates sectors are there those who promise for the medical compensation to be given to their employees as well some close members of their families. These employees if face with any serious disease or injury that may require medical attention may definitely ask for the medical compensation claims from the respective company they are working for.

But only mere asking for the medical compensation will not make you get back the money that is assigned as the claim amount. You or any of the affected employee need to place before the office authority (mainly in the accounts department of the office) proper poof and evidence in regard to the disease or injury the employee or his/her family member is suffering from.

Unless, proper evidence and proof is placed before the authority, they will not give away the amount assigned to as medical compensation claims for that particular employee.

There are several instances when an employee is deprived of getting medical injury compensation due to not having adequate proof and evidence required to be placed before the office authority. In this type of situations, mostly the employees try to revolt against the office authorities.

But if you think with a cool mind, then you will mind absolutely no fault with the office authorities. They are practically helpless. They cannot go beyond the rules and regulation that have been there for such cases. Moreover, without proper proof and evidences, there may be cases when employees try to forge the office authorities by claiming money as medical compensation while being perfectly fit at all. And there have been such case in the past that is the reason that such rules are required on a strict basis.

While these are facts, but there are other instances when even after showing proper proof and evidences, the affected employee is deprived of getting the medical compensation claims assigned under his/her name from the office authority. These are done mainly by some unfaithful cunning person taking care of the accounts departments in such offices. Sometimes, even if the employee gets back money as medical compensation, but he/she is not been handed the proper full amount assigned under his/her name.

These are the cases when the suffering employee may appoint some medical claims lawyers for consultation purpose and to handle the case on behalf of the employee. It is advisable to appoint an experienced lawyer who will have great success rates while handling such cases. These medical claims lawyers will handle these cases following the appropriate legal rules and in most cases, the victim gets benefitted.
http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Brief-Talking-About-Medical-Claims&id=5288762

Medical Negligence - Is It Easy To Make a Claim?

By Tim Bishop
You are worried that your recent surgery has actually caused you a greater injury and you think you should make a compensation claim.

But you have lots of concerns. Can any solicitor handle this? Will it be stressful and time-consuming? Am I going to end up paying more than I will gain in compensation? Will I have to go to Court and will I need to be examined by strange doctors? Well, these and a hundred other questions may well swim through your mind and it's not surprising.

As you might imagine, you cannot simply put in a random medical accident claim without a lot of time, sourcing of other details and work being done first. Your case will require hours of investigation into your medical records and the necessity, from this research, to determine whether or not you have a valid case.

Medical experts, independent doctors and background study of all the clinical aspects surrounding your claim will be involved. Although not many claims for medical negligence (also known a clinical negligence) end up in Court, winning a Court action is not always guaranteed.

This is one reason why it is imperative you get the support and knowledge of a highly experienced clinical negligence solicitor. A lawyer who has not been specially trained in this area of law might not have the skills they need. The result could be loss of your - or public - money, not just loss of a Court case.

It is advisable to search out a clinical negligence lawyer who practices with a Law firm who hold a Legal Services Commission Clinical Negligence Franchise. This firm should be able to provide you with funding from the Community Legal Service Fund (previously known as legal aid).

Alternatively, find a firm with lawyers who have been admitted to the Law Society's Clinical Negligence Panel or the AVMA (Action against Victims of Medical Accidents) panel. All of these panels set very high standards for entry and as result you will find that there are relatively few solicitors on these panels. You might therefore have to look further afield for a specialist solicitor, although if you are not well enough to travel a lot of medical negligence solicitors will make home visits - but your effort should be rewarded.

Next, check out their record of success in handling this type of litigation. Ask if you can have a free initial consultation. Time at these meetings can go rapidly so take along a set of basic questions to ask:

1) What access do they have to medical experts with individual specialist knowledge?

2) Do they have a track record of medical negligence cases with successful outcomes?

3) Has a clinical negligence lawyer from the firm experience of going to Court, in order to represent you, argue your case and give evidence?

Building trust with your chosen medical negligence solicitor in this way is vital for success.

Nursing Standard of Care Violations

By James Witherspoon
Like all medical professionals, nurses are held to a high standard when it comes to providing safe, responsible care to patients. In legal terms, the guidelines that govern a nurse's professional conduct are known as standards of care. These guidelines are set by the nursing board in each state and all licensed nurses must meet these guidelines in order to practice nursing. When a nurse is suspected of violating the standard of care, she or he may be investigated by the state board of nursing to determine whether the nurse is guilty of violations, and if so, what disciplinary action should be taken.

Types of Violations

When a patient or another medical staff member suspects a nurse of a standard of care violation, she or he may report the infraction to the state board of nursing, which investigates licensing violations. Typically, standard of care violations are divided into two different types of nursing malpractice:

* Negligence: When a nurse puts a patient at unreasonable risk that is not typical for the procedure, causing harm to the patient.
* Lack of Informed Consent: Failing to fully inform a patient of the details of a procedure, including its benefits and risks, before performing it.

A single standard of care violation can have serious implications for a nurse's career. If the breach is deemed to be serious enough, the nurse in question may even lose her or his license to practice.

Defending Your Case

Every nurse has the right to retain a lawyer and defend herself or himself in a license violation investigation. Because state boards of nursing regularly oversee these types of investigations, they can be quick to assume that the nurse is at fault without properly reviewing all of the evidence. Retaining an experienced nursing license defense lawyer can help to ensure that all proper procedures are followed throughout your investigation and can help to maximize your chances of uphold your nursing licensure.

Upper GI Bleeding and NSAIDs

By James Witherspoon
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a serious concern that may develop in many patients suffering from digestive problems. This medical emergency, which requires immediate treatment if diagnosed, can occur due to damages in the esophagus, the stomach, and the duodenum. Perhaps most frightening for patients, the kind of health concerns that may contribute to an upper GI bleed in these areas can be caused by basic treatments for other problems. In particular, the use of NSAIDs, commonly prescribed pain relievers, may contribute to an upper GI bleed.

NSAIDs, the acronym used to describe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, include such basic pain-killing medication as ibuprofen. Although over-the-counter use for this drug contains a warning and is generally handled in smaller doses, a patient under the direct care of a healthcare professional may be receiving significantly more potent doses of this medication. The manner in which these drugs contribute to an upper GI bleed is due to the kind of damage peptic, or stomach, ulcers can do to the digestive system. As a result of these ulcers, hemorrhaging may occur.

Treating an upper GI bleed often comes down to the doctor's choice of using a surgical option or resolving the damages through immediate use of pharmaceutical treatments. Surgically, a physician may order an endoscopic clipping, which can close up an ulcer, removing the possibility of further damages to the system. Also, electrical instruments may be used to cauterize wherever the hemorrhage occurred, effectively healing the wound.

Pharmaceutical approaches are considered relative newcomers to upper GI bleeding treatment methods, but the results have been impressive enough to warrant many physicians to order these treatments instead of more invasive procedures. The major drug treatment used is a medication that increases the healing capabilities of the affected area, boosting the body's own ability to fixed damaged areas.

For more information, contact a medical malpractice attorney.

Why You Must Understand Medical Malpractice Law

By Jon Arnold
If you think you may have grounds for a malpractice lawsuit, it stands to reason you should know a little about medical malpractice law. Knowing the basics will help you determine whether or not you do actually have grounds to sue and a reasonable chance of success.

First of all, you must know what medical malpractice is. Let's say that your doctor has diagnosed you with a certain skin disease based upon your symptoms and your medical history. He prescribed treatment and medication. Following the treatment, your symptoms became worse and your discomfort increased considerably. There was some "breaking out" which resulted in serious scarring. Could this be an example of medical malpractice?

Here is an instance where malpractice law comes to light. Under certain circumstances, there could be grounds for a lawsuit. If you can prove that the treatment and medication was prescribed and administered to you either in direct contradiction of the usual and customary course of care for this disease or in contradiction of your medical history, then it could be the basis for a medical malpractice law violation. If, however, the treatment was common to your disease and the medication prescribed was not unusual or one you had not listed as being unable to tolerate, then there probably are no grounds to file a claim under medical malpractice law. In other words, if the results of a prescribed treatment simply do not turn out favorably, it is not necessarily a reason for a malpractice lawsuit. There are no guarantees of success in the medical world. Medical malpractice is when a patient is caused harm, injury, or death due to failure by a medical professional to provide suitable care or through their negligence.

A common misconception regarding malpractice law often involves the medical waiver that you are asked to sign upon admittance to a hospital. Have you always thought that signing it negates your right to pursue a medical malpractice claim? Many people believe this, but it is not true. Generally, the waiver or consent form states that you agree to have a treatment or medical procedure performed and have been informed by the doctor as to why it is necessary, what options you have, possible risks, and that you have been given the opportunity to discuss and ask questions before signing the form.

Understanding medical malpractice law is very important since you will have to prove malpractice should you sue. You will need to keep records and have substantial evidence to support your claim. Your case may end up in court. Very often, though, to escape negative publicity, malpractice cases are settled before they get that far.

Applying for Medical Negligence Compensation

By Tim Bishop
It's not the easiest thing to cope with when you have been unwell or in need of surgery. When things go wrong or you suspect you, your treatment or diagnosis has not been handled in a professional manner, to whom do you turn?

A lot of people shrink from challenging a medical professional, often because they are anxious that they can't 'fight the system'. You may feel intimidated and that, as a non medic or lay person, no-one is likely to listen to you.

Not so. That is exactly why there are specialist Medical Negligence Lawyers. These experienced Solicitors will listen to you; they will provide valuable professional guidance and support when you are making a claim for compensation following a medical accident.

So what constitutes Medical or Clinical Negligence?

Medical Negligence is when a medical professional, usually a doctor - but it could be a midwife, nurse, radiographer, dentist or other health worker - has given you medical treatment that has resulted in something going wrong.

Your specialist Medical Negligence Lawyer will need to determine whether the treatment you received, in a particular field of medicine, was substandard to that expected by a qualified competent doctor.

To get sufficient proof, your lawyer will have to examine your medical records before sending them, along with a statement prepared by you, to an independent doctor for their assessment. After reviewing these, this doctor will give a report on whether he or she feels the medical treatment was reasonable. If his indication is that your treatment was substandard, your case moves to the next stage.

From this point, your Medical Negligence Solicitor will write to the hospital or clinic where you were treated and inform them of your proposed claim. They must reply within 3 months.

A doctor or clinic may accept immediately responsibility for your injury. If so, it is less likely you will need to take the case to Court; your clinical negligence lawyer will start negotiation to obtain an appropriate compensation settlement.

There are time limits in which you can make a Medical Negligence Claim. Usually this is within 3 years of the accident or injury, although sometimes circumstances occur when symptoms develop later on. In such cases, the three year period runs from the date when the injury was discovered and was linked to previous medical treatment. If it is a child that has been injured, the three years starts from their 18th birthday. These time limits are adhered to strictly, making it vital that you don't waste time, but take legal advice about your chances of a successful compensation claim straight away.http://ezinearticles.com/?Applying-for-Medical-Negligence-Compensation&id=5347236

More Malpractice

By Douglas Cassel
I'm not a doctor or a lawyer, but as a journalist I've reviewed medical malpractice cases at the local courthouse, and I can tell you that we're not talking about compensating people who have minor injuries or no injuries. Those are weeded out quickly by the courts. We're talking here about surgeons who left stuff inside people, or cut off the wrong limb, or doctors who seriously misdiagnosed an illness or provided the wrong medication or a dangerous dosage. People become permanently disabled. Babies die. Families are devastated. These are the people who are compensated by our court system and therefore are most affected by tort reform, and this is why we shouldn't give up their rights until we implement real safety measures that improve the quality of care and reduce errors.

Kathy Miller

My previous post identified the exaggerated impact of medical malpractice upon health care in America. One of the myriad deficiencies of Obamacare is it's failure to even address, much less solve, this vital concern. Until the haunting spectra of malpractice is lifted from physicians, the continued over treatment and over utilization of testing will not change.

However, I also agree with the statement by Kathy Mitchell, there are some incompetent, greedy, drug impaired, arrogant, stupid and lazy doctors. Even many good doctors have bad days or occasional lapses. Patients are injured and killed, and these issues cannot be dismissed. Doctors need to do better. Medical malpractice reform needs to go hand in hand with medical quality assurance reform.

What would an improved malpractice system include? The adversarial tort based system will have to be replaced with some sort of no-fault system. The lawyers must be removed from the process, replaced by medically trained, unbiased panels that would make awards based upon the degree of patient injury. Such systems are in place and have had some success in New Zealand and Scandinavia. Of course, the trial lawyer lobby, and their allies, both the White house and Congress, will fight this to the death. Lawyers will support the "rights" of the patients, and their own financial interests, despite the fact that only 1 in 15 patients with medical errors get any compensation at all in the present system.

Just to show I am not a typical lawyer bashing doctor, I feel addressing doctor incompetence may even be more problematic Presently, there is no effective method to identify, discipline, retrain or terminate even the most impaired, incompetent or criminal physicians. State medical boards and hospital staffs are impotent. The required complexity and intrusiveness of any system comprehensive enough to monitor the behavior of every care provider nationwide would be enormously expensive and meet intense resistance from the medical community. The bureaucracy involved would rival that created by Obamacare. (perhaps the bureau could be staffed by all of the newly retired physicians such a program would generate). Malpractice reform is vital for any realistic attempt to fix what is ailing the US healthcare system. The award limits which have been enacted do help doctors, but don't change utilization behavior. The almost insurmountable obstacles to making needed reforms may doom of any serious attempt to improve our medical care system.http://ezinearticles.com/?More-Malpractice&id=5351324

Important Information About HIPAA

By Greg Garner
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has become an integral part of healthcare systems today. This act is used to protect the privacy and rights of a patient that is in the need of healthcare. As a patient we all want to make sure that are privacy is held in tact when visiting any type of medical facility. As a healthcare provider we want to make sure that we are protecting the rights of our patients along with protecting our business. In order to achieve the level of education that is needed we must find a way to provide some type of training for those who deal with patients. Dealing with patients can be such a rewarding job, so we need to do all we can as an employee to protect that patient. HIPPA training will actually benefit you as an employee along with benefiting the business as well. As a professional you want to become a well rounded employee to help your employer as much as possible. It is important that you present a professional image when discussing issues with clients.

4 Topics of HIPAA training

1. HIPAA training includes several different topics that can seem confusing without support from an online training business. Usually HIPAA training will start out with the basic topics that concern HIPAA. Like what does HIPPA stand for, Insurance Reform, and Accountability? These generalized topics will give you a basic understanding when starting your training. It is important that the foundation principles are covered first when viewing any type of training material. This is exactly what the online training does for you. It allows you to gain a basic understanding of the topic before moving on and expanding on those same topics.

2. The training will then usually venture into the privacy rules that are associated with this act. The power point slides will cover privacy rules in general, individual patient rights, and notice consent and authorization. The privacy portion of the training is one of the longer sections of the power point that you will be using online. This is because the privacy portion of the training is one of the most sensitive topics when working in healthcare. Protecting a patient's privacy can be very detailed as there are certain rules you must abide by. You do not want your business to receive a HIPPA violation because you as an employee did not know how to handle a situation properly. This would look bad on you as a professional and cause trouble for the business as well.

3. After completion of the privacy training you will then start to review the security training. These topics can range from administrative, technical and physical safeguards that you must follow. The security training portion also discusses topics such as security management process and security awareness. Privacy and security are the two main topics that you will focus the majority of your time on when viewing the power point. Remember that the power point slides that you will be viewing are easy to understand. If you have questions at any time feel free to chat online with your customer service representative.

4. You will wrap up your training with the implementation of the HIPAA policies and guidelines. This will serve as a review of the security and privacy acts that you will need to follow. This portion will teach how to use these principles in everyday situations which will become very handy.

When you cover the implementation portion of the training you will see how you need to deal with everyday occurrences in a professional manner. Client interaction is actually one of the most important concepts when building any type of business.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Important-Information-About-HIPAA&id=5337621

What Is Arachnoiditis?

By James Witherspoon
Following an accident resulting in damage to the spine, an introduction of the wrong kinds of chemicals into the body, or even a botched spine surgery, a person may develop a permanent condition known as arachnoiditis. Named for the layer of tissue that surrounds the spine, arachnoiditis is the inflammation of this tissue, which may then cause irreversible nerve damage around the spine. This disease is not only permanent, but may be extraordinarily painful for some sufferers.

Arachnoiditis develops as a notable inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the three meninges that play a vital role in protecting major nervous system components like the spine and brain. When damages to this tissue become more extreme, the result can be the formation of extensive scar tissue around the nerves. In some instances, these nerves may take adhesive properties, attaching to other nearby nerves.If this happens, the results can be extraordinarily painful.

The symptoms for arachnoiditis are straightforward, but may be excruciating for sufferers. The most commonly associated symptom is chronic pain, which varies in severity according to the extent of nerve damage. This may be so painful for some that the act of sitting for a lengthy period of time becomes unbearable. In addition to chronic pain, numbness or a tingling sensation are notable problems cited by sufferers.

Treatment for arachnoiditis is perhaps the most grim part of the disease. Although, for some, regular therapy and slight alterations to their lifestyle can reduce many of the symptoms, there is no cure. This disease is currently a permanent affliction, and all existing therapy options only to reduce pain.

For more information regarding how improper treatment can play a role in the development of this disease, contact a medical malpractice lawyer.

The History Of Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

By Greg Garner
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a bill that was developed by the United States Congress in 1996. The bill was first enforced in 1997. HIPAA was created to prevent abuse, fraud and waste of health insurance, health delivery, and other aspects of health. Because of the rules set by the act, the government also hoped that it would increase the level of health care given. This act was meant to make sure rules were followed, by distributing harsh punishments for not following HIPAA procedures.

3 Main Aspects Of HIPAA

• One main aspect of HIPAA is the rules put in place regarding abuse of the health care. After Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was put in place there was a steep decline in the fraud occurring in health care. This was a great feat for the HIPAA bill, but it wasn't the most important. The formation of a system in which health care documents could be passed electronically is one of the greatest aspects of HIPAA.

• There is almost nothing more terrifying than someone gaining access to your health care information. Your health care records are sensitive material. You may have a condition that you would rather keep privately. HIPAA understood the need to keep patient records confidential. To maintain patient confidentially HIPAA created regulations for transporting this material electronically. These rules would not only take care of patient's sensitive material, but create a way for information to be exchanged. Electronic exchange of patient records would be a much more efficient and cost effective way to transmit health care information.

• Another main section that is covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is insurance coverage. If you were employed for several years at a company and suddenly your employment status changed you would lose your insurance coverage. HIPAA was designed to protect employees in situations like this. Before HIPAA rules were introduced, employers would halt payments for insurance coverage for employee's that lost their jobs or quit. HIPAA rules make it possible for employees in this type of situation to continue to have health care until they find a new job. Another important aspect of HIPAA is its regulations about pre-existing conditions.

Despite all the positive aspects of enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act there is a down side. The main issue that HIPAA imposes is the cost of making all systems compliant. All the extra paperwork needed to make an office HIPAA compliant caused medical practices to need extra help. From an economic stand point it was a great because it created new jobs. For medical companies it hurt their bottom line and cost them more employment wages.

Overall HIPAA was a very important bill that needed to be enforced. Insurance was guaranteed to those who lost their jobs and those with pre-existing conditions. Patients were also blessed with knowing that their records would be confidential. Although HIPAA was an added cost for many health care facilities it also reduced the amount of fraud. HIPAA was able to create a set of rules to regulate health care and it has proven to be successful thus far.

Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis

By James Witherspoon
Thousands of women, and even some men, are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. This number only continues to grow year by year. In order to be as effective as possible during the treatment process, medical staff strive to catch any cancerous growths as early as possible. If the doctors taking care of you and your loved one failed to diagnose cancer in an appropriate time frame, this could significantly affect their ability to treat it and prevent its spread.

Medical Errors and Failure to Diagnose Cancer

Medical professionals can and do make errors while treating patients. This negligent behavior can happen in a variety of ways, including the following:

Faulty or negligent follow-up when a patient notices a breast lumpBad analysis or reading of mammogram results, Failure to conduct a biopsy of a mass if deemed necessary,

Because cancer can multiply and progress so quickly, it is very important that hospital staff catch cancer early on. Even just a few months delay in diagnosis can greatly change your or your loved one's prognosis. As the cancer progresses over time, a patient's chance of survival goes down. Also, the chances that the cancer will reappear in the same or different area of the patient's body go up. Errors like a failure to diagnose breast cancer are life-threatening and cannot be tolerated. If you have lost a loved one to this devastating medical mistake, do not let it go unpunished. By bringing a lawsuit against the negligent medical professional responsible for your loved one's passing, you could prevent other innocent people from suffering the same fate.

What Should Be Included In A HIPAA Checklist

By Greg Garner
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was established by the United States Congress in 1996. The act was first implemented in 1997, but wasn't in full swing until 2003. This bill was created to establish a unified system for health care documents. HIPAA was designed to prevent fraud in the health care system and make delivering health care electronically simple. By creating a system for the electronic delivery of medical transactions HIPAA was able to streamline all health care facilities.

HIPAA compliance checklists are a common document in many medical offices. A HIPAA checklist should include important basic guides of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. This information should include emergency operations and contingency plans, access to information and records, and response to incidents. Another important aspect of a HIPAA checklist should be audit control, software, hardware, and transmission security. Another important way to make sure HIPAA rules are implemented is to assign an officer to control these rules. With a designated officer in control of your medical staff you can be sure that HIPAA regulations are being followed properly.

5 Things Your HIPAA Checklist Should Include

1. One of the most important parts of your checklist is a definition of duties. The office HIPAA compliance checklist should clearly define which personnel are allowed to access information and records. The will prevent any unnecessary access to confidential patient information.

2. Another important part of your checklist should be a clear set of procedures. The HIPAA check list should establish policies for modifying access to information and records.

3. Within your HIPAA compliance checklist you should included procedures for responding to security incidents. Every incident that occurs should be reported and documented. The outcome of the incidents should also be recorded along with ongoing investigations. This will help you understand if your security policies should be updated.

4. A backup and recovery plan should also be listed in your HIPAA checklist. In the event of a disaster you need a plan to continue business operations. You should test your backup policy thoroughly to ensure it will work properly. Within this plan you should discuss how necessary equipment for operations will be replaced.

5. Another aspect of your HIPAA checklist should be the installation of security software. HIPAA is concerned with the privacy and safety of patient records. If your computer system is breached there can be a leak in thousands of confidential patient records. Installing a firewall and other systems protection will ensure this type of disaster does not occur in your facility. All the information that is electronically dispersed should be encrypted before transmission. You should practice routine system checks to ensure the safety of your electronic material.

After you have designed your HIPAA compliance checklist you should assign an officer to maintain it. This person will have the task of acting as your offices HIPAA compliance officer. This will ensure your company is maintaining and enforcing HIPAA regulations and rules.

The Different Types Of HIPAA Compliance Forms

By Greg Garner
In order for companies to be in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, they must have the proper documentation. HIPAA compliance forms are pieces of documentation that help medical facilities and other businesses comply with the provisions of HIPAA regulations. This federal law, established by Congress, helps protect patient information of those individuals receiving medical care. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a very serious matter. If a company is not in compliance with HIPAA regulations there are severe and specific penalties. All medical environments in patient or out patient care must follow HIPAA regulations. In order to have a satisfactory policy compliance there has to be a streamlined effort from all fields and levels of medical information. Below we will discuss some important HIPAA compliance forms.

3 HIPAA Compliance Forms You Should Know About

1. A notice of privacy practices is a common privacy form that you could be familiar with. This document informs patients of the provisions of HIPAA. This document will most likely be given to you by a health care specialist. You could possibly be given this document when you visit a medical facility. The document is generally meant for patients to better understand the regulations that protect them and how they are implemented.

2. Another HIPAA document you could be familiar with is the form to release your medical information to others. This document can be signed by a patient if they wish to release their information to other individuals such as a new medical office. If you have been referred to a specialist by your family doctor you will need to sign a release form so your medical information can be sent over to the specialist.

3. Patient request forms are another type of HIPAA related medical form. This can include a Patient Health Information (PHI) form. Also included in this category could be a patients request for accounting of disclosures. This form would entail a list of any offices that have received their medical information from a certain medical office.

Among other HIPAA compliance forms, another informal document called a HIPAA checklist is also available. This document provides a checklist of all the compliance information a medical facility should be following. This document can serve as a checklist for medical managers to follow to prioritize compliance. Many medical offices create these checklists on their own, as they are not required by HIPAA. Even though they are not required they are a great way to keep your office in check.

With HIPAA you can rest assured that your medical information will be safe and secure. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has changed the way medical information is transmitted and secured. When you travel to your doctor you will be able to understand the privacy documents you could be presented and realize that are they for your safety. HIPAA has dramatically decreased the fraud associated with health care. It continues to make our health care system more efficient and secure.

Medical Malpractice From Misuse of Surgical Instruments

By Andre Brown
Medical malpractice has been going on for years and occurs a lot more then some people may imagine. It effects tens of thousands of people nationwide each year. Recent research shows that up to as many as 100,000 Americans can be affected by a doctors medical instruments each year. Medical malpractice is a situation where a doctor in the medical field has made some sort of an error in the medical field using their instruments for surgery or just a bad prediction that shouldn't have been made. The most common case for this is the doctors orthopedic instruments. This often happens in a misdiagnoses for cancer, an error in prescription, or failure to find an illness or disease that should have been found. Most frequently it's just failing to find infections.

Medical compensation is money that is paid to the victim/patient. Generally compensation covers the cost of medical treatment into the future, lost wages into the future or any expenses you've occurred up until that current time. Most of the time it fluctuates by state however some state governments can compensate you for this. (i.e. physical or emotional damage, pain or suffering, etc.) Also it is possible for your spouse to have a claim as well.

Deadlines apply to these sort of cases. There called statute of limitations. These time frames can vary from state to state. It's crucial for you to know exactly what those restrictions could be. If you miss your deadline then you can be denied medical compensation by your state. The times frames range from 1 year to 5 years. Some cases go has long as 6. If you have a kid under the age of eighteen. Then sometimes their claim doesn't come into action until they reach adulthood in age eighteen. Its very important for you to know what the time frame here is for you. It varies by age, state, gender, etc. This is why it's essential to speak to an attorney if you feel you have been mistreated by a doctor or the doctor's surgical instrument sets.

Taking a Lamaze Class

By James Witherspoon
Lamaze classes began in 1951 by a French doctor named Dr. Fernand Lamaze. He had observed that many woman were struggling to breathe during difficult childbirths. The obstetrician believed that proper breathing may help reduce some of the pain. In order to help his patients during difficult deliveries, he decided to have his patients practice breathing exercises approximately six weeks before the delivery. Millions of women around the world now use this technique to help cope with painful childbirth.

Structure of a Lamaze Class

A Lamaze class will include approximately 12 hours of class. During these sessions, a woman will learn and practice to slow her breathing, using patterned breathing, and blowing. A class will also include information on the ideal positioning during birth as well as other methods for relaxation. A combination of these exercises will help deal with the ebb and flow of the pain intensity. The benefits of these exercises include teaching the mother to deal with the pain as well as staying emotionally and physically strong during delivery.

Many of these benefits are amplified by the presence of a partner. A close friend, spouse, or partner that will be present during labor, will also learn how to regulate their breath during class. The comfort and support of a partner has been proven to provide pain relief.

Unfortunately, even with taking a Lamaze class, a woman can still struggle to remain calm and safely deliver their child. When a disruption that causes injury in childbirth is caused by a negligent medical professional, the family of the victim may be able to file a medical malpractice suit against the responsible party.

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