The high rates of malpractice suits raise the question, “Should healthcare profe

The high rates of
malpractice suits raise the question, “Should healthcare professionals not
be allowed to make any mistakes?” Consider the following case. In your
estimation, is failing to pursue further testing simply a mistake? Consider
this from the point of view of the risk manager and of the patient’s spouse.
A 38-year-old female
was admitted to the emergency room of Goodcare Hospital with symptoms that
suggested a gastrointestinal problem. The attending physician performed all the
routine tests, and the results were normal. During the time the patient was in
the ER, she had uncontrolled diarrhea and grew weaker. The medication given did
not help. The patient died, and the autopsy revealed that she was suffering
from giardiasis, an intestinal parasitic infection. This infection is not
detected by routine parasitic testing. If detected, the infection can be
effectively treated with antibiotics. In this case, if the patient had been
correctly diagnosed, she would likely have recovered quickly and lived. The
attending physician was sued for negligence for failing to diagnose the
infection. A jury awarded the woman’s husband $725,000.