10 Alzheimer’s or Dementia Warning Signs and Symptoms to Watch For According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a slow decline in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills can start an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis. Sometimes the diagnosis is missed though if a physician fails to seek further medical opinions or perform the right tests. The Association provides ten early signs and symptoms that family members can watch out for and a brief overview of what conditions are commonly diagnosed in place of Alzheimer’s or dementias. Noticeable Memory Loss ..read more

7 Ways Medical Malpractice Can Occur That You May Not Be Aware Of According to the National Institutes of Health, about one in 5 Americans will experience a medical error in their lifetime. And at the same time, less than 10% of all medical errors are reported. Because health care has many moving complexities, unfortunately, it leaves a lot of room for error, especially when systems are overworked and understaffed, leaving room for technology mistakes and miscommunication. While three of the most frequent incidences of medical negligence are related to medication, surgeries, and misdiagno ..read more

As Elective Surgeries and Outpatient Procedures Resume, Medical Mistakes Will Return Most elective surgeries and non-emergent outpatient visits have been put on hold since mid-March, when the Illinois Department of Public Health recommended canceling these procedures in response to preventing the potential exposure to coronavirus. As of May, many Illinois hospitals have returned to scheduling and performing elective surgeries and procedures as officials say the COVID-19 curve is bending. Most hospitals are starting with outpatient procedures before in-patient procedures are considered and are ..read more

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken over the American healthcare system as a response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic by creating new rules and waivers of pre-coronavirus operations related to Medicare. CMS says the swift changes will help “local hospitals and health systems have the capacity to absorb and effectively manage potential surges of COVID-19 patients. … flexibilities to permit hospitals and healthcare systems to act as coordinators of healthcare delivery in their areas.” For many hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid are the single largest payers for ..read more

Many expectant parents are now facing a new reality and uncertainty about the health care risks related to coronavirus exposure. So far, According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, current data on COVID-19 does not suggest pregnant women are at greater risk of getting the virus but similar to other respiratory infections, they are at higher risk of harm due to a slightly compromised immune system caused by pregnancy. A respiratory infection that is left undiagnosed or untreated can lead to more injury and damage to a mother and her baby. Doctors Are Changing Prenatal ..read more

Doctors May Miss Stroke Signs in Young People According to the American Stroke Association, strokes are on the rise among young people and in the past decade there has been a 44% increase in the number of young Americans hospitalized due to stroke. While that is an issue in itself, doctors and medical agencies are proving they may not be prepared. Some providers still have the perception that the disease only happens in older people. This means younger people who suffer strokes are being swiftly dismissed or not provided the correct, quick treatments needed in a critical timeframe. For each mi ..read more

Researchers Identify Connection Between Treating Depression and Onset of Diabetes Long-term use of antidepressants isn’t breaking news, but now the overuse of the prescription drugs has been linked to diabetes. According to a National Institute of Mental Health study published in Diabetes Care in February 2020, long-term antidepressant use increases the risk for type 2 diabetes onset in a “time- and dose-dependent” manner. The researchers evaluated 90,530 participants for associations between the risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus and the duration of antidepressant use and the antidep ..read more

Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2020 Each year, the nonprofit ECRI Institute puts out a “Top 10 Patient Safety Concern Executive Brief” aimed to bring a heightened awareness for a better continuum of care and stronger accountability for U.S. health care systems. The annual top 10 report ranks patient safety concerns in all health care settings and designed to help organizations identify dangerous patient safety challenges and offers suggestions and resources for addressing them. The list for 2020 includes ..read more

In 2017, a jury sent ex-neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. D and Dr. Death, to life in prison for botched surgeries that resulted in two deaths and multiple cases of paralysis. Prosecutors said Duntsch’s surgical outcomes were so poor, so beyond the accepted standard of care, that a grand jury indicted him on five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as a one count of harming an elderly patient. Using information gathered in a yearlong investigation to prove his gross malpractice, attorneys identified more than 30 patients at the four hospitals who were harmed due ..read more

A ..read more