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Make No Mistake, Medical Errors Cause Real Concern
A new study reveals surgeons admitting to making a major medical error within the last three months. Is surgeon burnout and depression to blame for many medical malpractice lawsuits?
January 06, 2010 /Cosmetic Surgery PR News/ -- Make No Mistake, Medical Errors Cause Real Concern
Article provided by The Law Office of J. Neal Rodgers
Visit us at www.jnrodgerslaw.com
Job burnout is a common occurrence no matter the profession with nothing more at stake than a little attitude adjustment, but when a surgeon suffers from job burnout it can be a matter of life and death.
Following heart disease and cancer, medical malpractice is the third largest cause of death in the United States. Some experts estimate that 10 percent of hospitalized patients are believed to be victims of medical errors, and as many as 200,000 die each year due to preventable medical error or infection acquired during their stay.
Fatigue is often to blame as the cause for many medical mistakes but a new study suggests that the most significant factor contributing to self-reported medical errors is the mental well-being of the surgeon, specifically burnout and depression.
A survey was commissioned by the American College of Surgeons for a study led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Mayo Clinic, and 7,905 surgeons responded confidentially to a series of questions that measured three elements of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization--treating patients as objects rather than seeing them as human beings--and personal accomplishment. Other questions screened for depression. The investigation found that nearly 9 percent, or 700 surgeons, admitted to having made a major mistake within the previous three months. More than 70 percent blamed themselves for the error, not the medical system. And mistakes varied by specialty--a surgeon working in obstetrics/gynecology and plastic surgery was much less likely to report an error than a general surgeon.
Some theorize that errors are a result of increased patient loads, performance stress and a reluctance to seek professional help for fear of losing their license. But the research found that the number of nights on call per week, the number of hours worked, compensation method and general work environment were not related to the reported medical errors. Not work pressure, not external factors, just surgeon burnout.
Researchers acknowledged a sort of "Catch-22" in using information gathered from self-reported surveys in that a definitive determination could not be made to distinguish whether burnout and depression led to medical errors or whether medical errors led to burnout and depression. Although it's not entirely clear if their state of mind caused the errors or the errors generated their mental state, the surgeons who admitted to making an error did show more signs of emotional exhaustion and depression than their peers.
Statistics reveal that only one malpractice claim is made for every eight malpractice injuries and plaintiffs drop ten times more claims than they pursue, which may reflect a lack in proper legal representation. Victims of medical malpractice should consult with an experienced attorney. The study suggests that a surgeon's personal mental health condition may indeed have an effect on the quality of patient care, which could have grave consequences. Addressing the issue, open communication and getting help for the surgeons who are experiencing burnout and depression is of paramount concern to avoid any future occurrence of medical malpractice.
Article provided by The Law Office of J. Neal Rodgers
Visit us at www.jnrodgerslaw.com
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