Maryland Hospital Evaluation Guide Can Help Patients Avoid Medical Errors

Hospitals are a place of healing, but hospital errors sometimes lead to severe disfigurement, life-long complications, and even loss of life. Patients need to be careful in how they select a hospital, as the number of Maryland hospital errors may vary greatly from one facility to another. The Maryland Health Care Commission published the Maryland Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide to help patients and their families choose the best facilities for their needs. The Web-based guide allows readers to compare hospitals based on their quality in treating specific conditions such as heart and lung problems and also allows women to compare hospitals based on their quality of maternity care.

When using the guide, select a specific condition to reveal more choices for comparison. For example, when selecting the maternity care guide, you may compare hospitals based on repeat Cesarean deliveries, all vaginal deliveries, first-time Cesarean deliveries, and vaginal birth after Cesarean. Selecting an option allows you to compare the number of cases handled by each hospital and the average length of stay for each type of case and can help you determine if the staff members have enough experience to handle your condition or procedure.

Remember that it’s not always possible to compare two numbers side-by-side to make a decision. One hospital might have handled 3,000 cases in 2010 and the other hospital might have only handled 500. On first glance, it would seem that the first hospital has a lot more experience; however, the first hospital might be much larger than the second. The size of the facility and number of practitioners on staff make a difference.

Unfortunately, researching hospitals thoroughly is not always enough to prevent medical errors from occurring. If you or a loved one were the victim of a hospital error, it’s important that you seek legal advice. Having an experienced attorney on your side can mean the difference between receiving the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losing your case. The Maryland medical malpractice attorneys at Alpert Schreyer have the experience needed to help you make decisions throughout your case. Contact us at (301) 932-9997 to schedule a free consultation.