Stress: A major cause of errors in emergency rooms

Heading to the emergency room is the last thing anyone wants to have to do, but if an injury or illness gets bad enough, it’s essential to seek medical care right away.

An emergency room is one of the most stressful places for medical providers to work, but that doesn’t mean that shortcuts should be taken to lighten patient loads or reduce wait times.

Pressure and stress lead to medical mistakes in hospitals

Unfortunately, many mistakes are made in emergency rooms because of the demands of the job. Some of the most common mistakes made include:

• Medication errors
• Diagnosis errors
• Discharge errors
• Treatment errors
• Interpretation errors

These errors can lead to serious consequences, such as patients getting worse, being discharged when they’re still unwell, going without treatment or dying as a result of poor or inaccurate treatment methods.

Stress is a leading cause of emergency medical mistakes

Physicians who are stressed are more likely to make mistakes when caring for patients, prescribing treatments and diagnosing patients. Unfortunately, the emergency room is a high-stress environment, and a medical provider won’t necessarily have all the answers for every patient. That’s why good communication, referrals and attentive care are all necessary.

What can you do to minimize the risk of injuries if you have to go to the ER?

Ultimately, the best thing you can do is try to be prepared. Take a list of your medications with you, a list of drug allergies, a list of your conditions and someone with you to help make sure that you’re getting the care you need.

If you are the victim of medical malpractice, find out what it takes to fight for your right to compensation. An experienced advocate can help you learn more.