Could a Physician’s Body Language Help to Prevent Patient Harm?

 Posted on May 24, 2023 in Medical Malpractice

The smallest things can lead to patient harm. A small mistake on a prescription pad or a decimal point in the wrong place could cause a medication error. A single distracted thought as a nurse is recording information into a patient chart could lead to vital information being left off of a physician’s radar. A single tiny splotch of abnormal tissue misread on an image could lead to a misdiagnosis. It, therefore, is not so difficult to imagine that a physician’s body language could contribute to a medical mistake – or could prevent one from happening – either.

Helping Versus Harming

When a patient has suffered serious harm due to a healthcare provider’s failure to provide them with the standard of care expected by the medical profession, the patient may have a valid medical malpractice claim. Yet, partially because providers are not known for being forthcoming after they have wronged patients and partially because medical conditions tend to have complex origins, medical malpractice is often very difficult to prove.

A physician’s body language can help to facilitate patient safety or it can potentially compromise it. When a doctor is fidgeting, staring at anything but the patient when they are speaking, and otherwise indicating that they are not fully present when a patient is being treated, that physical inattention to the moment can serve as a red flag that they are less likely to provide their patient with proper care. On the other hand, a physician whose body language indicates that they are fully present in the moment can inspire fruitful communication that could help to prevent missteps.

What to Do If You Were a Victim of a Serious Medical Mistake 

If you were injured by a medical professional’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Financial compensation may be available for lost income, medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. However, you will need a strong claim and substantial evidence to win your case. Make sure to work with a medical malpractice attorney with sufficient experience and a track record of favorable case outcomes. 

Contact a Winnebago County Medical Malpractice Lawyer 

It may seem strange, at first, to fixate on how your physician presented themselves just before things started to go wrong. However, if you suspect that some medical harm that you have suffered occurred because of substandard medical care, your physician’s so-called “bedside manner” could be very relevant indeed. Contact our team of Rockford, IL medical malpractice lawyers at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law to discuss your options.

You do not need to know whether your situation is actionable to seek guidance. Our firm offers free case evaluations to anyone who would like to make informed choices about issues related to medical malpractice. To schedule a session, you can call our team at 815-215-7561 or submit a contact form on our firm’s website. We look forward to speaking with you.   

Source:

https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2023/more-than-words-body-language-and-patient-communication/