Medical Malpractice Preventative Care
We’ve written countless articles about what to do if you or a loved one has fallen victim to medical malpractice.
But is there a way to prevent becoming a victim? Are there things you could be doing to avoid becoming a victim of medical malpractice in the first place?
The answer is YES, and the first tip we have stresses the importance of preventative care.
What is Preventative Care?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Preventive care includes health services like screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling that are used to prevent illnesses, disease, and other health problems, or to detect illness at an early stage when treatment is likely to work best.”
The CDC expresses that if everyone in the United States received the recommended amount of preventative care, over 100,000 lives could be saved every year.
Types of preventative care measures could include:
- Tests (Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes, etc.)
- Cancer Screenings
- STD Screenings
- Yearly Physicals
- Vaccines
Allen Tittle’s Battle with Cancer
Allen Tittle, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer here. I spend a lot of time talking about types of medical malpractice cases we’ve had. One thing I want to discuss in this video, and in a couple of follow up videos, is how to prevent you or a loved one from becoming a victim of medical malpractice. Folks, I’ve got something personal to share. I got some news recently that I have cancer, thyroid cancer. Now, the reason we were able to find it quickly and before it spread throughout my body, is a couple of steps that I want to share with you. And these steps can be universally used in any kind of healthcare scenario to make sure that you or a loved one does not fall victim to medical malpractice. So number one, and I think this is the most important thing, is preventative care. Preventative care is the best care. And that is- let me step back for a minute and kind of explain what preventative care is. Preventative care is that you’re following up with your family doctor or with your primary care physician at least on a yearly basis to get that physical, to get that blood work. If your doctor can catch a condition early, it’s more likely than not, easier to take care of. So folks, I implore you- make sure that you are, at the very least, going to your family doctor or your primary care doctor once a year. Get that physical, get that blood work, and if there’s anything wrong, your doctor will be able to quarterback the care and to take care of you. So again, Allen Tittle, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer, visit our website, tittlelawfirm.com, give us a call, (216)-677-3671, don’t become a victim of medical malpractice, don’t become a stat. Instead, take command of your own healthcare. Thank you, take care.
Avoid Medical Malpractice: Finding a Specialist
In a previous blog post, Attorney Allen Tittle discussed the importance of preventative care and taking charge of your healthcare from the very beginning.
In part 2 of the series, “How to Prevent Becoming a Victim of Medical Malpractice”, the topic discussed is finding the best healthcare provider for your specific condition.
How Do I Find the Best Healthcare Provider?
For many people who determine that a specialist is needed for their condition, they often get referrals from their doctors, friends, relatives, or social networks. However, there may be a better way to make sure you’re getting the perfect fit for your needs.
Physiatrist Dr. Val Jones came up with a 10-step guide for finding the best doctor for your condition:
- Determine what kind of doctor you need.
- Compile a list of all the doctors (of the specialty you need) in your area.
- Narrow online choices by your preferences
- Do an online “background check” of your top choices.
- Make an appointment.
- Come prepared.
- Ask the right questions.
- Go with your gut.
- Get a second opinion.
- Reward good doctors with good online recommendations so others can benefit.
Don't Become a Statistic, Find a Specialist!
Allen Tittle, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer. This is part 2 of my video series of how to prevent, or how to ensure that you or a loved one does not fall victim to medical malpractice. In my first video, I went through how important preventative care is. The second video I want to shoot is, “What Happens When You Find Out Something is Wrong?”. Well, you have to, the most important thing, obviously, is that you have the best healthcare providers in your corner to treat that condition. And so, when you are looking for the best healthcare providers, the best doctors, you want to look for doctors who are specialists- and I mean really “niched out”. So let me give an example: So everyone usually, I shouldn’t say everyone, generally speaking, people know what an orthopedic doctor is- a bone doctor. They treat broken arms, broken ankles, knee surgeries, but if you fall and break your hip, would you rather have a doctor that basically only performs surgeries on hips, or a general orthopedic doctor who one day is doing a surgery on a finger, the next day an ankle, the next day a hip? You want that specialist. If you live close to Cleveland, Toledo, or a major city, there are plenty of specialists out there that are really hyper-niched in treating those types of conditions. So, for example, unfortunately, when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, I wanted to find the surgeon who is best suited to carry out that surgery. And therefore, I went out and found a doctor that pretty much only does surgery on the thyroid- that’s the guy you want to hire. So again, folks, we already know from my previous videos that medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in America. I don’t want you to become a stat, so please, if you find out that you have a serious problem, just don’t take a doctors word that he or she is capable of treating your condition. Mandate that you find the best doctor available, a real specialist who is “niched out”. Allen Tittle here, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer, if you have any questions, please visit our website, tittlelawfirm.com, give me a call, 216-677-3671, don’t fall victim of medical malpractice- I want to make sure of that.
Avoid Medical Malpractice: Follow Your Doctor's Advice
The third and final piece of advice to prevent becoming a victim of medical malpractice might seem obvious, but it’s something many people ignore- follow your doctor’s advice.
If a doctor or healthcare professional suggests a course of treatment like getting an x-ray or coming in for additional blood work, it’s important that you follow through and get the suggested tests. Not only will it be helpful should you pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit, but your health will also likely benefit from the suggestions as well.
Why is it Important to Follow Your Doctor’s Advice?
Allen Tittle here, Cleveland’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer. This is part 3 of my video series of How to Ensure that You or a Loved one Does Not Fall Victim to Medical Malpractice. I shared with you in video one and video two in the series, of, sort of key things that I think are imperative to ensure that you do not fall victim to medical malpractice. The third and final thing that I wanna share with you is that I think it’s really important, this may seem obvious, is that you actually follow your doctor’s advice. And, so, let me give some examples. If your family doctor says, “Joe, go get some blood work”, you better get that blood work. If the doctor says, “Joe, go get the x-ray”, you better get the x-ray. When I review a medical malpractice case, one of the things I always look for to determine whether I want the case or not is, did the patient follow the doctor’s advice? Not only is it important in my cases, but it’s important in your health. There’s a reason why the doctors are giving you advice, it’s in your best interest. And that advice, usually testing, is the only way for your family doctor or your primary care doctor to diagnose any potential deadly or dangerous medical conditions. So, please folks, I know it sounds simple, but follow your doctor’s advice. So if you have any questions, please visit my website, tittlelawfirm.com, or give us a call, 216-677-3671. Allen Tittle, I wanna make sure that you or a loved one does not fall victim to medical malpractice. Take care!
Contact Cleveland Medical Malpractice & Negligence Lawyers
Have you followed your doctor’s advice but still found yourself a victim of medical malpractice? Don’t wait to take action, contact Cleveland Medical Malpractice Attorney’s today. Fill out a contact form online or call 216-677-3671 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney. We will fight for you!
