Harris KhanTechnology influences a lot of aspects of our lives, and one of them is healthcare. Today, medical technology has a huge impact on access, quality, and price. But although it can be very useful in improving medical treatment and diagnoses, technology also influences medical malpractice.
Over 100,000 people end up being either injured or killed in the U.S. every single year due to medical errors. Some of these errors include anesthesia errors, surgical errors, birth injuries, treatment delays, failure to diagnose, prescription dosage errors, and many others.
It is essential to learn how healthcare technology affects the medical field and medical malpractice, especially if you are involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Medical Technology Benefits
Medical technology had a positive impact on numerous medical areas. Many healthcare providers and patients are pleased with the advances that were made in technology because it helps provide accurate diagnoses and treatments.
Numerous healthcare providers have said that technology allows them to spend more time with their patients and take better care of them.
Moreover, they love the fact that tech gives people from rural areas access to care and also provides them with better healthcare services overall. This is something that was not possible before, but now that technology evolved so much even in the medical field, things are moving in a good direction.
With technology, many procedures are simplified. So, care is more focused, and productivity is increased. There is a lower risk of human error, such as errors involving recordkeeping and filling.
Medical Technology Risks
Whereas medical technology has many advantages, it has various drawbacks as well. Sure, it improves healthcare in various ways. But even though many healthcare professionals are now learning how to use the new technologies, there are still errors that may occur. The worst part about it is that many errors are dangerous.
Technology can help prevent some errors made by humans, but people can make mistakes when it comes to technology.
For instance, when it comes to prescriptions, a typographical error may result in giving a patient a dose that is either very dangerous or deadly. Moreover, incorrect information entered in a medical record belonging to a patient could lead to unnecessary treatments.
Medical Malpractice Impact
Technology is great in reducing the likelihood of errors, and medical malpractice is also less likely to happen when using technology. At the same time, technology could assist with medical malpractice cases.
For instance, there is a lot of documentation registered using computers, so that means there will be enough documentation available to check an error. The digital record can be used in court as proof, and that could be very useful for patients involved in a medical malpractice case.
About 10% of deaths in America happen due to medical malpractice. In states like Florida, medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider is unable to provide good skill, treatment, or care for an individual, which could mean a disease misdiagnosis, a badly-performed surgery, and many other things.
So, if you are ever dealing with a medical malpractice case anywhere in Florida, you should hire a Florida medical malpractice lawyer to help you out. Also, make sure you make use of technology to help you get the necessary evidence for the case.
