When you go to a hospital or take a loved one, you expect competent care. New Jersey’s Department of Health has discussed the rights of patients in-depth. Violations of these rights can lead to costly mistakes.
Hospitals need to operate with the utmost professionalism and care. Failure to do so can amount to medical malpractice and negligence. The following are three common causes of hospital errors.
Poor Communication
For a hospital to offer top-notch services, there has to be excellent communication among all healthcare providers. If a nurse fails to provide adequate information to a doctor, an error may occur. Similarly, it can be harmful when a provider doesn’t obtain enough details from the patient or the family.
Poor communication is also seen during handoffs. When a patient is transferred to another department or hospital, the physicians in question should have a thorough discussion.
Recording issues
Transitioning a patient’s data from paper to an electronic system can create errors. One can enter incorrect details or miss data. If such a document is sent to another department, errors are highly likely to happen.
Thus, it will be best for a hospital to have convenient systems. They should also train employees on the best ways to transition data without errors.
Understaffing
A hospital should have enough healthcare providers to eliminate the chances of sleep deprivation and fatigue, which usually put patients in danger. For instance, the ratio of nurses to patients should be practical. Some hospitals fail to budget effectively to have enough staff to meet the needs of their patient load.
Besides, a hospital should schedule shifts fairly. Providers should also take breaks and have time off without affecting workflow.
Hospitals can avoid errors by being cautious in their operations. If you or your loved one received substandard care, resulting in injuries, pain and suffering or death, get information on the best steps to take.
