How to Determine Whether You May be a Victim of Medical Malpractice

People trust their doctors to not only give them sound medical advice, but also to inform them of the best treatment options currently available. In fact, patients rarely even refer to other doctors for a second opinion, even if they have been diagnosed with a serious illness.

It can be very difficult to know when a doctor has made an honest mistake that could not be avoided versus when a case of medical malpractice or gross neglect has taken place, unless you’ve enrolled on online FNP programs or obtained a law degree.

Not only do most patients want to avoid insulting their doctors by asking too many questions, they also do not want to risk damaging their relationships with their physicians. The best way to tell if you have experienced medical negligence is to have your case looked at by an attorney, but here are some of the primary clues you can look for when you want to try to figure out what your next move should be.

When an Illness Goes Undiagnosed

If you are serious about your health, you should be scheduling appointments with your primary physician for routine checkups at least once a year. People who have chronic or lifelong medical disorders may find more regular medical screening may be necessary. During each annual medical appointment, you should be discussing all concerns you have with your doctor, and you should also be receiving expert medical advice and suggestions on any treatments or changes needed. If you have discussed ongoing medical issues with your doctor or the family nurse practitioner at your doctor’s office and not received any sort of helpful suggestions, you may be being medically neglected.

Insufficient Medical Treatment

Even if a doctor provides helpful suggestions and orders a course of treatment aimed at alleviating your medical issues, your feedback and recovery always need to be taken into account. Not all treatments are going to work on patients in the same manner, in which case physicians need to try other methods out or send their patients to medical specialists for further evaluation. Additionally, if a medical treatment is not working to your satisfaction, it could be a sign that a more serious issue is going on. There aren’t specific guidelines on how long a doctor should wait to see if a specific treatment is working, but it should become evidently clear to your physician when the route being taken isn’t going as planned.

Serious and Avoidable Medical Complications

Remember that doctors are not always able to anticipate every type of health complication that may arise during your lifetime. This is why you should discuss any and all symptoms you are experience with either the FNP or your doctor as soon as they occur, and always schedule a doctor’s visit if you feel that your health is at imminent risk. Otherwise, medical complications that occur as a result of misdiagnosis or medical neglect are both serious and unethical.

The fact of the matter is that the majority of people would much rather be able to talk to their doctors about their concerns rather than to need to consult with an attorney about suspected cases of medical malpractice. If there are things that are bothering you about the way your doctor has been treating your illness, speak up and wait to hear his or her reasoning. After that, you can decide if you need to talk to an attorney.

This is a guest blog entry.