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Prevent Medication Errors
Posted by: Craig A. Knapp
January 26, 2012
Topic: Medication Errors

Your 2 and a half year old daughter is hospitalized due to a seizure disorder. The night is nearing and a nurse comes into the room to give your daughter some medicine. You notice that the medicine she's about to give doesn't look familiar, and a nurse had already come in earlier to give her medication. What would you do?

This exact situation happened to a Kansas mother who, by speaking up to the nurse about the medication she was about to give, saved her daughter from receiving the wrong medicine and because of this, potentially saved her daughter's life. A 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine estimated that about 98,000 people die in the U.S. each year due to medical errors, with many more being sickened.

Unfortunately, many mistakes can be made in every step of the medical process-with the nurses, doctors, pharmacists, drug companies, and even with miscommunication or a misunderstanding on your behalf. However, there are ways to significantly lessen the likelihood of an accident happening, like in the example above. When retrieving medicine for your self or your loved one, here are some simple steps to follow to ensure safety:

1.) Ask questions. Research has shown that those who ask questions and inquire about things they're confused about have better health results. If something is confusing to you, don't be afraid to say so. Ask your doctor to put it in layman's terms to help you understand.

2.) Repeat. Once your questions have been answered, repeat back what your understanding of it was. Respond with, "Okay. Let me clarify that I understand this..." It will help to further justify that there was no miscommunication.

3.) Research. If something seems odd, research it yourself. You know yours or your loved one's ailments better than anyone. Look up to see what medicine you were prescribed and check to see if it treats the symptoms you're having. If it doesn't, go back to step 1 and bring it up to the physician.

4.) Keep records. There is no better way to ensure safety than to keep records of everything going on and take notes. Get copies of each prescription you received and ensure that the pill bottle matches the original copy. Make sure that the doses and frequency match the needs of you or your loved one. For example, if a dose seems high for your child's weight, don't be afraid to bring it up.

5.) Clarify. When you are told to do something, clarify that you understand it properly. For example, if a medication says take six doses daily, make sure you find out if that means you should be waking up and taking it every four hours or if it only counts during waking hours.

6.) Bring a witness. Sometimes, particularly in stressful situations, you can be overloaded with an excess amount of information. This is why it's helpful to bring someone with you to help ensure you understand everything. This will allow you to get a fresh perspective and can assist you in knowing how to properly treat yourself.

7.) Check the bottle. This is one of the most important things you can do when receiving your prescription from the pharmacy. Check to make sure the pill bottle says the proper prescription on it, as well as the dose and frequency that you should be receiving. You can cross reference this from the copy of the prescription you made for yourself prior to filling it (see Step 4).

8.) Educate yourself. Above all, this is the single most important thing you can do for your self or your loved one. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacists see dozens of people every day. It can be difficult for them to remember every detail about you and your needs. This is why it helps for you to make sure that yours or your loved one's needs are being met. This will show those medical professionals that you're paying attention, making the likelihood of them paying closer attention to you much greater.

Thousands of people die each year from medical errors with countless others enduring injuries over silly mistakes. Don't be a victim of these errors. Do everything you can to prevent these injuries from happening with the few simple steps above. It could save yours or your loved one's life. If you or someone you know has suffered from medication errors, contact Knapp & Roberts immediately. You deserve healthy treatment in every step of the medical process. We can help you tell your story and ensure that someone else does not endure the hardships that you have. Give us a call.

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Finding an Assisted Living Facility in Arizona
Posted by: Craig A. Knapp
January 24, 2012
Topic: Assisted Living Facilities

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Pedestrian Fatality on the Rise: Safety Needed
Posted by: Craig A. Knapp
January 19, 2012
Topic: Pedestrian Safety

A new study released shows that walking may be more dangerous than riding in a car. When comparing pedestrian deaths in 2010 versus 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found an increase by more than 70,000 injuries and 4,280 deaths. Unfortunately, due to lack of research, they are not entirely sure why. Despite lack of statistics and information, NHTSA has come up with possible explanations for the increase:

-Texting while walking. It may seem silly, but texting while walking can be just as dangerous as texting while driving. In fact, it may be more dangerous since you have no protection around you when walking, unlike when you're in a vehicle.

-Low-income residents and immigrants have been moving to suburban areas that were designed for automobile travel, making it a less safe environment for walkers in those areas. 

-Most roads are designed to accompany large volumes of cars to travel at a higher pace, making speed and crowding more dangerous for walkers.

-Alcohol Impairment. It may seem like a safe choice to walk home when intoxicated, rather than driving. However, research shows it is actually just as dangerous as operating a vehicle and can still cause deaths. In fact, in 2009, alcohol was involved in 48% of all pedestrian fatalities according to the NHTSA. Of those, 35% of the pedestrianskilled were legally drunk, as were 13% of drivers involved. In 6% of fatal pedestrian crashes, both driver and pedestrian were legally drunk.

As more people turn to the road by foot, rather than by car, safety while walking becomes increasingly important. Aside from road safety upgrades the NHTSA could make, there are things that pedestrians could do to avoid harm, as well. Pedestrians need to ensure that they are making safe choices while walking. Next time you're walking, put your cell phone away, don't drink and walk, and pay attention to where you're going and what's going on around you. It could save your life.

If you or someone you know has been harmed while walking due to poor road safety, reach out to Knapp & Roberts' experienced attorneys. We believe that everyone should be in the safest environment possible when traveling by foot. If you have questions regarding an incident, don't hesitate to ask. We care and we are here to help.

Source: As Road Deaths Fall, More Pedestrians Struck

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Medical Errors in Hospitals
Posted by: Craig A. Knapp
January 17, 2012
Topic: Medical Malpractice in Hospitals

When an emergency happens, we rely on hospitals to take care of our needs, know what is wrong, and fix the problem before it gets worse. It's not something that we believe we need to think too much about-that's supposed to be their job. However, with thousands of medical errors taking place each year and about 80 percent of them going unreported, our involvement may be more important than we think. Despite how inadequate you may feel to probe or ask questions to medical professionals who endured an overwhelming vastness of medical terminology and procedures in school prior to entering the medical realm, new studies show that it can make a life or death difference.

A recent study released by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services shows that a majority of hospital incident reporting systems do not capture most patient harm. When asked why an incident was not reported, many hospitals reasoned that an error or incident went unreported because: (1) staff did not perceive the incident as reportable (61 percent) or (2) staff commonly reports such incidents, but did not report it in this case (25 percent).

As with most hospital medical errors, many of the incidents found were easy to avoid. Some of the errors shown were overused or wrong medications, severe bedsores, hospital-based infections and even patient death.

Knapp & Roberts is committed to helping others stay safe and receive the best medical care by educating them on some simple steps to follow when entering a hospital, nursing home, or group home. Below is a list of some key things that should be done when you or a loved one enters a hospital:

1.) Do research. Although we'd like to believe that the medical staff will know what's wrong with you and will take care of you accordingly, that's not always the case. A simple search online will help you in knowing what they should be doing to care for you and will help you in ensuring it's getting done.

2.) Ask questions. If you have any questions, ask. It's best to clarify something you're confused about. That way, you are better informed in what's going on with yourself and you're better prepared to research the information you're being told to compare its accuracy.

3.) Get another opinion. There is no harm in getting more than one opinion. In fact, it can only help. If something feels weird or sounds strange to you after you've done step 1 and 2, getting another opinion is the best thing you can do.

Educating yourself is the most surefire way to avoid easily prevented medical errors. You may feel unqualified, but no one knows yours or your loved one's needs better than you do. Once the medical staff realizes that you are actively involved in helping to improve your health as much as they are, they will be taking extra precautionary steps to ensure quality care.

If you or your loved one has already fallen victim to a medical error, don't hesitate to report it and seek help. With so many medical errors going unreported, it allows the same problems to take place repeatedly. You can be the difference in avoiding another person enduring the same mistreatment you received. If you're unsure about your case and have any questions, reach out to Knapp & Roberts. We are committed to helping those who have endured medical mistreatment, and we have the experience and knowledge to help you or your loved one in taking the steps to ensure it doesn't happen to someone else. You can make a difference and we can help you in doing so.

For more tips on how to prevent medical errors, click here.

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Detecting Nursing Home Abuse with Granny Cams
Posted by: Craig A. Knapp
January 15, 2012
Topic: Granny Cams in Nursing Homes

It's human nature to crave freedom and privacy. America is prided on being the "land of the free," with thousands of people envying the rights that Americans have and striving to obtain them. But what if some of your privacy was taken away? If you've ever read George Orwell's book, 1984, the thought of this would frighten you. However, what if I told you that by allowing a camera in yours or a loved one's bedroom, you could be helping people who couldn't help themselves?

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