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For more than 20 years, CRICO has analyzed claims and suits from the Harvard medical community to understand causes of error. We have learned that 67% of claims fall into four high risk areas: Diagnosis, Obstetrics, Surgery and Medication.

CRICO


    • Mar 5, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 9m AVG DURATION
    • 64 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Medmal Insider

    Unclear Discharge Instructions, Patient Loses Foot

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021 10:20


    Lessons in preventing tragic patient misunderstandings and multi-year legal entanglements.

    Woman Dies from Post-op Stroke When Anticoagulant Not Restarted

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2020 10:17


    In a lawsuit naming four physicians, the patient’s estate alleged negligent failure to restart anticoagulation after surgery, resulting in a stroke and ultimately, her death.

    Young Patient, Flawed Test, Fatal Delay in Colon CA Diagnosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2020 7:56


    A young patient with multiple visits for the same complaints needed an accurate diagnosis sooner to survive.

    “What Else Might This Be?” Might Have Saved PE Patient

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2020 14:06


    A typical urgent care decision needed a simple re-thinking in this fatal PE case.

    A Forgotten Stent and Unclear Responsibility for Follow Up

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020 9:16


    The patient sued his oncologist and the hospital, claiming they mismanaged his post-op recover when a stent was left behind for a year, leading to complications that required additional surgery.

    Nothing is “Routine” for an Anxious Patient or Family

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2020 8:30


    A pediatric practice struggled to satisfy the family of a boy after two years of appropriate primary care. What did they learn about communicating with patients and their families over routine medical matters?

    Status Change Missed, Consultation Flawed, and the Patient Loses Baby

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2019 11:07


    OB case: communication between the primary provider and a phone consultant needed more clarity and changes in the patient's status needed a stronger response.

    Radiology Didn't Know Risk Status Before Patient Fall, Head Injury

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2019 10:29


    Doctors Lose Their Own Malpractice Case

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2018 5:43


    Medical malpractice cases are often lost when a defendant clinician does badly at trial or during the deposition.

    Poor Communication of Doctor's Orders Leads to Preventable Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2018 10:01


    Failure to supervise and confirm orders led to a preventable death and a search for system-level changes to how NPOs are communicated.

    ED Stuck on Wrong Diagnosis, Blamed the Patient?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2017 9:48


    When a patient returns over and over again with the same symptom complex, the providers really need to start to think, "am I missing something?"

    NP Misses Fatal Illness on Phone with Patient's Dad

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2017 11:16


    Fixated on flu symptoms, the nurse missed available information that indicated the patient should have been brought to urgent care to prevent an unnecessary tragedy.

    For This Patient, Opioids for Pain Resulted in Suicide, Court Settlement

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2017 12:39


    A Psychiatric patient kills self with opioid prescribed by an internist for restless leg syndrome.

    Culture Helped, Hurt in this Dosage Error

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2017 7:21


    An 8-year-old girl experienced a tenfold dosing error of clotting factor, requiring admission and observation due to increased risk of stroke.

    No Review of Test Result, and Girl Suffers Wrong Dx for Years

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2016 8:52


    An 8-year old girl was treated over three years for a condition she never had.

    Missing an MI When Symptoms Didn't Match Diagnosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2016 7:00


    A fuller history or a record check might have helped this physician add MI to the differential diagnosis.

    Distraction, Poor Planning for OB Patient

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2016 7:02


    Fetal bradycardia forced an emergency C-section, but the family claimed the care team should have been more prepared.

    Was This Primary Care Provider Too Rushed?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2016 8:02


    Providers find extra challenges diagnosing stroke in the primary care office.

    Troubled Brew: Multiple Providers, Disjointed Care, Lost Kidney Function

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2016 9:11


    Case: Multiple providers and the patient delayed a diagnosis of obstruction, resulting in lost kidney function

    Spine Surgery: Someone Should Have Said 'Time Out'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2015 9:52


    Case Study: Response to spine surgery complication injured the patient and relationships.

    Diagnostic Dropped Ball: Nobody Followed Up on Lung Nodule

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2015 8:49


    Nobody followed up on this patient?s lung nodule before it was too late.

    Unfair But So What? Trial for MD After Patient Skips Screening

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2015 8:46


    Asplenic Patient Disabled after Providers Overlooked Infection Risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2014 6:17


    Despite multiple visits to her PCP, a 30-year-old woman without a spleen was never given prophylactic antibiotics or told the risks of a high fever.

    Missed Steps Delay Breast Diagnosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2013 10:07


    Even though the patient identified a lump on her breast, it took more than a year to diagnose cancer. Family history-taking and proper imaging were lacking. CRICO interviews one of the authors of a Harvard breast care management algorithm, Michelle Specht, MD, to consider how following such a guideline could have helped the gynecologist and radiologist--and ultimately the patient.

    A Missed MI Diagnosis and Death After Office Visit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2013 9:05


    As in many missed MI cases, the primary care physician did not order an EKG. Thomas Sequist, MD, of Atrius Health, describes where some of these cases typically go wrong, and how using a Framingham Risk Score can help with the evaluation process in the office practice.

    Misread of Data Slowed Response, Hurts Patient

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2013 8:21


    A young woman presented to Labor and Delivery at 39.6 weeks with ruptured membranes and irregular contractions; a vaginal delivery was complicated by shoulder dystocia after prolonged induction of labor, resulting in a baby with low Apgars, respiratory distress, neonatal seizures, and permanent cognitive and developmental deficits. A lack of close collaboration between the nurse midwife and the covering obstetrician was blamed for a slow response to worrisome fetal heart rate tracings.

    Patient Loses Finger after Medication Error in ER

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2013 10:04


    Medication error in the ER was preventable. Culture and communication problems compounded an error that required several surgeries and amputation.

    Missed MI and a Failure to Connect the Dots

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2013 9:04


    Fragmented primary care in a large group practice that only treated the patient's acute problems before his death, missed several opportunities at better control of cardiac risk factors.

    Surgeon: 'I Blew It' Hospital: 'We Blew It'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2012 9:07


    A top surgeon mistakenly performed carpal tunnel instead of trigger release procedure after multiple interruptions and personnel shift changes in OR.

    Late Follow Up Miffed Patient in 1821 Ortho Case

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2012 9:10


    Nation's "first malpractice crisis" resulted in 1821, after a horse fell on a man and the surgeon waited a month to visit his patient to see if his attempted hip reduction worked.

    Midwife Didn't Seek OB Consult on Fetal Heart Rate

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2012 9:59


    Lack of collaboration and poor documentation among the factors in large settlement with severely compromised infant.

    Bleed Recovery Good, But Disclosure Faulted

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2012 7:32


    Test Delay Blamed in Woman's Colon Cancer Death

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2012 7:40


    The patient was under 50 and lack of communication between the PCP and GI about a sigmoidoscopy order contributed to a diagnostic failure.

    Diagnostic Failures Prompt Referral Changes.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2011 9:00


    Armed with its own malpractice data, a large group practice builds on an existing electronic record system to ensure that when its doctors order a referral, the referral actually takes place. (Audio file updated 03/22/2012)

    Retained Object: Reliance on Memory Harms Patient.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2011 8:34


    Lack of Empathy Triggers Suit Against Surgeon

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2011 10:24


    The patient and his wife felt that the surgeon was not forthcoming with an explanation of what happened and seemed indifferent to the impact on his patient, following conversion to an open procedure and large blood loss.

    Drug Error Reviewed by Non-Healthcare Methods

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2011 11:02


    Removal of Infant's Healthy Kidney

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2010 12:03


    A five-month-old girl was referred to the emergency department for evaluation of intermittent fevers and lethargy.

    Closed Claim Abstract: Lack of Prostate Discussion Caused Legal Pain

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2010 8:10


    Sent Home Twice Before Baby Born Sick

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2010 9:16


    Protocols might have helped move conflict up chain of command, and improved monitoring.

    Sleep Apnea Patient Dies After Eye Surgery

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2010 10:45


    Communication and documentation flaws compromised a case that featured allegations of poor assessment and monitoring both pre-op and post-op.

    Deaths Preventable with Computers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2009 7:25


    Delayed Diagnosis of Post-op Infection

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2009 10:16


    Assumptions Among Providers Delay DX

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2009 8:11


    Attending Unaware of Patient Problems

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2009 8:00


    Multiple Providers Miss PE

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2008 10:23


    Despite several evaluations in the ED and PCP office, the cause of pulmonary symptoms eluded providers, led to unnecessary surgery, fear of cancer--and a mid-range settlement.

    Repeat ED Visits, Delayed Diagnosis, Lost Ovary

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2008 9:34


    Wrong Site, Quickly Settled: Closed Claim Abstract

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2008 8:53


    In this case, the liability was clear, and the institution and its malpractice insurer worked closely with the plaintiff, to reach a relatively speedy resolution for the patient.

    Five Hours to Deliver Twin B: Closed Claim Abstract

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2008 10:14


    Even though the cause of a brain hemorrhage was difficult to prove, the case was settled because management of the second twin's delivery was so difficult to defend.

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