Describe a news story or professional experience in which someone claimed that a doctor, nurse, hospital, nursing home, or other healthcare provider did not treat them with the appropriate standard of care. Briefly discuss what happened. How was the situation handled? Do you believe the standard of care was violated? If so, how? The best answers will relate concepts from this week’s materials. Respond to the posts of at least two of your classmates
Peer 1: Allan Navarro was awarded 216.7 million dollars in a medical malpractice lawsuit following an emergency room physician misdiagnosing his stroke symptoms as a headache. Navarro was sent home from the emergency room with a prescription for painkillers before ultimately ending up back at the ER the following morning with more severe symptoms that resulted in him needing surgery to relieve the swelling in his brain. As a result in the delay in treatment of his stroke he was in a coma state for three months and awoke with permanent disability.
The patients symptoms and family history were not taken into consideration and were brushed off as a headache. The standard of care was violated in this case.
Peer 2: While I was working at a Hospital, a patient came into the ER with a complaint of extreme pain and discomfort. This was caused by hemorrhoids which had to be removed. The ER gets a lot of patients on a daily basis, so the wait time can be quite long. This patient got very upset that it was taking so long for the doctor to see to her needs. She became irritated and verbally aggressive. The doctor arrived shortly after and performed the removal procedure, sending the patient on her way afterwards. A few hours later the patient returns complaining of extreme pain. Again, the wait time made her more and more agitated to the point that she wanted to file a complaint and speak to an administrator about her poor treatment. The doctor took a second look at her to ensure that the procedure was done properly. Frankly, there was nothing more to be done besides trying to alleviate the pain. The patient was sent off again after the second examination. During her visit, she did not speak to the administrator or file a complaint. I don’t believe standard of care was violated. The wait time is lengthier for patients who have only minor illness or injury, as was hers. Even so, the procedure successfully removed the hemorrhoids. All that was left was the healing process. And while she was in pain, it would subside over time.