Unnecessary Treatment and Medical Malpractice
We often hear about doctors who fail to diagnose and treat their patients in a timely manner. Those with rare or chronic illnesses may sometimes spend years fighting for a diagnosis and getting the treatment they need. Failing to treat a patient who needs treatment can be a form of medical malpractice. On the other hand, so can overtreating health issues or subjecting a patient to treatment they did not need. When applied well, medical science can do incredible things to make sick people well again. However, medical science can also do extreme harm to a person when care is administered negligently. Medications, tests, procedures, and surgeries can all do serious harm if they are not medically indicated. Some patients endure needless treatments for years before learning that their health care is actually making them sicker. If you have been harmed by unnecessary medical treatment, you may be entitled to compensation.
What Medical Treatments Are Used Unnecessarily?
Profit-driven hospitals and doctors are often eager to perform as many tests and treatments as they can. This can drive doctors to order all sorts of medical interventions that a patient does not genuinely need. Overtreatment can be just as dangerous as undertreatment, but it is much less discussed. Some types of unnecessary medical interventions people have faced include:
-
Medications - Often, medication will be one of the first things a doctor tries to relieve a patient’s reported symptoms or correct an issue they think they have spotted. However, “FDA approved” does not mean “safe for all humans.” This often happens when doctors fail to perform appropriate tests to determine whether the medication is needed. For example, if a doctor takes a new patient’s blood pressure once and sees that it is high, they may instantly prescribe blood pressure pills without realizing that the reading was a fluke.
-
Tests - Almost all tests carry some degree of risk. Invasive tests, like endoscopies or some biopsies, carry even more. It is easy for doctors to think of tests as being perfectly safe, but a small percentage of patients will suffer harm.
-
Surgery - Unnecessary surgery is perhaps one of the most extreme forms of medical malpractice. Surgery is always dangerous, and if it is not necessary, it inherently will cause harm to the patient, who will suffer needless pain and have a scar to live with. Sadly, there is usually a profit motive behind unnecessary surgery.
If you suspect that you have been subjected to and harmed by unnecessary medical interventions, you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible.
Call a Kane County Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C. is experienced in holding negligent doctors accountable for patient injuries. Our skilled Aurora medical malpractice attorneys will conduct a thorough investigation into your case, seeking the proof you need. Call 630-907-0909 for a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7747436/
