It is almost impossible to turn on the news and not hear about some kind of medical malpractice that has happened. It is happening more and more each day and patients are afraid to visit their doctors. Let’s take a look at how malpractice is affecting the medical industry and what we can expect to see going forward.
Patients Are Avoiding Doctors
According to Total Assist, “65% of people avoid going to the doctor for a variety of different reasons.” Any patient who knows that a doctor has committed malpractice will most certainly avoid seeing this doctor regularly. This is unfortunate as many people need to see their doctors regularly in order to stay healthy. However, there is a line being drawn in the sand that is making a huge disconnect between doctors and patients due to this hysteria being developed. While not all doctors commit malpractice, it is most certainly ruining the medical industry’s image.
It’s Making Doctors Scared
According to Legally Mine, “89% of dentists fear getting sued and 79% are concerned about its impact on their welfare and the way they practice.” The fear of making a mistake is challenging the strained American medical system and causing many doctors to seek employment in other fields. Unfortunately, this is driving away many doctors from pursuing their medical careers further.
The Media is Blowing it Out of Proportion
The unfortunate reality of the situation is that the media is taking the information that is given to them and creating a hysteria out of it. This is not the first time this has happened over a medical scare. There have been many incidents where the media has reported that malpractice is happening more often than you realize. This is causing many individuals to not trust their family doctors and the medical professionals who operate on them. According to Managed Care Magazine, “there have been many times in the recent past that the media portrays medical malpractice and medical malpractice reform in poor light. Some would argue that this stops actual progress from occurring.” The media is doing more harm than good by blowing the information they have been given out of proportion.
The reality of the situation is that many people may not look at the situation for what it is. While doctors may end up committing malpractice, these individuals make up a small fraction of the medical industry as a whole. It is highly unlikely that more doctors than we realize are actually committing malpractice. This hysteria is causing plenty of problems for individuals who need treatment and professional medical physicians. The latter have to deal with the repercussions even if they have never committed malpractice themselves. It is up to you to do your research and separate the good doctors from the bad before letting the media make up your mind.
Author Harper Harmon is a freelance writer and blogger who focuses on business, health and other various topics. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication from UCLA and currently resides in Santa Cruz with her dog, Sassy.
