You can experience negligence in any department of a hospital. A mistake can happen before or after you are treated, resulting in an injury. This is mainly referred to as administrative malpractice.
So, how can it happen?
Before interacting with a doctor
Receptionists in hospitals have crucial duties. They collect patient information, answer calls from patients, help patients complete forms and documentation, schedule appointments and remind patients and doctors of the appointments, update patient records and so on.
If a receptionist makes a mistake while performing any of these duties, serious consequences may follow. For example, if a receptionist forgets to include a patient’s allergic reaction to a medication when collecting their information, a doctor may administer the medicine. Further, if one fails to inform a doctor about a patient who called to complain about certain symptoms after treatment, the patient’s condition may worsen.
Physicians substantially use the information they get from the front desk to make major decisions, such as diagnosis, treatment plans and so on. Thus, a receptionist failing to include the needed information or inputting information incorrectly can be risky.
After interacting with a doctor
If a doctor orders tests, a test administrator or any other staff member may be in charge. They will collect the sample, handle it and transport it to respective departments. If an error occurs during any of these stages, the test results are likely to be incorrect. This can lead to misdiagnosis.
Additionally, if the administrator loses or mislabels a test or result, a patient may have to retake the test, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment.
If you experienced negligence before or after seeing your doctor, you may have experienced administrative malpractice. Consider legal guidance to know how to approach your case.