Why you should seek to know risks involved in whatever medication you take

We live at an age where medical care is at its safest, compared to days gone by.

But still a disproportionate number of medical errors and complications still occur, ending up with real harm to patients. There is still more to do to ensure even more safety. And processes must always be in place to redress matters when things go wrong.

The chances of you as an individual ever suffering any harm during your medical encounters is very slim. But nevertheless things can and do go wrong, whether you are being treated by humans or by machines. Some mishaps may only have transient and inconsequential effects. You may for example get the wrong medication prescribed, or the wrong dosage.

 If it was just a minor ailment, and simple meds, you may not suffer any real harm. On the other end of the spectrum, you may end up maimed for life after a botched operation for a seemingly innocuous reason. At worst, you may even end up dead following some complications.

You may ask why medical errors and complications occur. It’s mostly to do with processes, rather than particular individuals getting out there just to harm you. Your healthcare journey has multiple steps, ranging from consultations to several tests, prescriptions, operations, reviews and much more. Each of the steps involves intricate interactions with human-directed processes. One misstep and something goes wrong.

May be a wrongly interpreted result, erroneous transcription of records, malfunctioned instruments, or at times incompetent staff members. But modern healthcare providers have all sorts of checks and counter-check systems, all geared towards reducing risks.

Even the best of systems are prone to unanticipated failures. If something does go wrong eventually, your healthcare providers owe you some sort of redress. You should at the very least get an explanation, detailed enough to explain what happened and why. You may wish to know what remedial measures could be put in place.

Most medical grievances don’t go beyond this point. But you may have suffered grievous harm and may wish to pursue things further. You may directly ask for some form of compensation, and this may be agreed amicably. If matters come to a head, you may feel compelled to seek redress through medical licensing authorities. Or you may end up going to the courts.

The culture of safety in healthcare remains paramount. Many healthcare providers don’t spare any efforts in ensuring your safety. You have a role to play as well. Always strive to seek medical care where quality comes as standard.

Make sure you completely understand everything that gets recommended. Ask questions, and be clear about risks and complications before consenting for any procedures. Always ask about alternate treatment options that may have equivalent outcomes, and may be safer. Risks in medical care can never be completely eliminated, but they can be minimized to inconsequential levels.