While many medical facilities may put great effort into maintaining thorough recordkeeping practices, there may be no guarantee that errors will not occur. Lack of proper management of medical records can prompt a variety of risks that could pose a dire threat to the health of patients in Illinois. Patient misidentification continues to be a prevalent type of medical negligence and those who are subjected to such treatment could suffer severe or life-altering harm in the process.
Failure to be thorough when identifying patients can be dangerous under any scenario and some common examples of the risks of patient misidentification may include:
- Misdiagnosis: A diagnosis that is based on inaccurate information could lead to improper paths of treatment that might do little to treat one’s condition or may even make matters worse.
- Medication errors: Patient misidentification could also increase the risk that doctors might prescribe the wrong medications or incorrect dosages of medications, both of which may carry dire consequences.
- Improper operations: Similar issues could also lead to surgical errors such as wrong-site or even wrong-person operations and such negligence could place a patient’s health in jeopardy.
Patient misidentification can also cause patients to go extended periods without the necessary care and delays in treatment could prompt numerous health repercussions.
Similar forms of medical negligence could carry dire ramifications that may place the health and well-being of patients at significant risk. The fallout of such negligence could cause one’s medical condition to deteriorate over time or even make a person more susceptible to developing additional health concerns. Individuals in Illinois who suffer severe harm under such circumstances and have questions about how to exercise their rights to seek restitution accordingly could choose to speak with an attorney for assistance in preparing for the process.
