California patients place a great deal of trust in their doctors. Patients expect to be treated not only competently, but also with respect and thoughtful care. One element of the doctor-patient relationship that relies on respect is the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality. Under this concept, a doctor must keep a patient's medical information confidential and use it only to benefit the patient. Failure to do so may constitute medical malpractice.
Proper care of umbilical cord can prevent birth injuries
Most California parents know that the umbilical cord provides life-sustaining oxygen to a baby during pregnancy and is a critical element of a healthy baby's survival. Failure to properly care for a baby's umbilical cord can lead to compression of the cord and can have traumatic results for an infant during childbirth.
California hospitals not always successful preventing infections
Hospitals are supposed to be safe places, places of healing. They are not supposed to make patients sicker or to give them infections. Unfortunately, however, patients sometimes contract infections in hospitals, and sometimes these hospital-associated infections may be due to hospital negligence.
Are surgical black boxes part of California's medical future?
Surgery is a nuanced undertaking. While unblocking an artery or removing a brain tumor, surgeons must have careful hands and utterly precise movements. A slight slip of the hand or a wrong movement can prove fatal for a patient. As California patients know, things do and can go wrong during surgery. Determining what went wrong and how it went wrong is critical, but for a patient who is under anesthesia, it can be impossible to know exactly what type of trauma transpired during his or her surgery.
