Medical professionals are often concerned about being accused of malpractice. While they certainly aim to avoid negligent mistakes, they also understand that patients do not always experience optimal outcomes. To help reduce the risk of malpractice claims, it’s important for medical professionals to take proactive steps.
One such measure for surgeons is the use of preoperative surgical marking. This can be as simple as drawing arrows or “X”s on the patient. Some surgeons even write their initials on the correct operation site—for example, initialing a patient’s right knee to ensure that surgery isn’t mistakenly performed on the wrong side.
Avoiding wrong-site surgery
The goal of preoperative surgical marking is to avoid wrong-site surgery. Additional steps can include double-checking medical records and even confirming with the patient what procedure they are there to undergo.
However, anesthesia is used for many major surgeries, which means the patient may not be able to directly communicate with the surgeon or medical team during the operation. This is why preoperative markings are so important. Even when a surgeon has reviewed the records and is confident they are operating on the correct side, these markings provide one final confirmation. This simple step can help prevent accidental mistakes that could have life-altering consequences for the patient.
Medical malpractice defense
Even when medical professionals take all the proper precautions to achieve positive outcomes and avoid negligence, they may still face accusations of medical malpractice from patients who are unhappy with the results. Those who find themselves in this situation need to understand what constitutes malpractice and explore the legal defense options available to them.
