Does Telemedicine Increase the Risk of Medical Malpractice?
Published in Medical Malpractice on October 7, 2022
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Telemedicine is a practice that has been used for years to provide medical care to patients in rural areas but has recently risen in popularity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also known as remote or online medicine, telemedicine is medical care and advice provided via telecommunication technology. Although it can be a convenient way to receive treatment, could remote medical care increase your risk of becoming a victim of medical malpractice?
Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers are highly knowledgeable about medical malpractice claims and have over 45 years of experience. If you think you or someone you care about has suffered damages due to medical treatment received remotely, you may be eligible to recover a monetary award. For a free review of your medical malpractice claim involving telemedicine, call our office at (617) 391-9001. You may also submit an online contact form to begin discussing your legal options with a Sweeney Merrigan personal injury lawyer today.
Can You File a Medical Malpractice Claim for Remote Medical Treatment?
Remote medical care is a terrific option for people who live in areas that lack medical facilities or certain specialists. Telemedicine can also reduce your rate of contracting an infection by decreasing your rate of exposure since you do not have to go out into the public space. Unfortunately, despite these advantages, remote medical care could also increase your risk of suffering an injury due to medical malpractice.
A medical malpractice error is any avoidable or preventable adverse event that occurs throughout the course of medical care. These errors can range from slight mistakes that cause no harm to the patient to severe slip-ups that result in serious injury or fatality.
Errors made during the course of remote medical treatment could be the result of:
- Technical Issues: Unstable Wi-Fi, audio or video issues, and other technological problems can hinder communication between medical providers and patients. If the two parties cannot properly understand each other, information may not be accurately conveyed, and mistakes could be made.
- Lack of Information: Physicians may not be able to get all of the information they need like they would be able to if they saw the patient in a face-to-face setting. This lack of information could lead to a misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, unnecessary or wrong medications, and other errors.
- Miscommunication: Using a computer to conduct a doctor’s visit can make it challenging for the medical provider to grasp what their patient is saying and vice versa, which could lead to serious medical mistakes.
All medical professionals and their practices owe their patients a certain duty of care, even if they are providing their treatment in a virtual setting. If this duty of care is breached due to medical negligence, patients could experience serious consequences.
File a Personal Injury Claim for Telemedicine Medical Malpractice in Massachusetts
If you think you may have suffered an injury due to medical malpractice in telemedicine, you could be entitled to compensation for past and future medical bills, lost wages, mental anguish, and other damages. Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers, including Thomas T. Merrigan, Victoria M. Santoro Mair, and Bradley M. Henry, are aided by medical records reviewer and legal nurse consultant Amy Nichols.
Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers’ medical malpractice attorneys have received praise from outlets such as BestLawyers and Super Lawyers, acknowledging our excellent law practice. Our personal injury team has also recovered millions in compensation for our medical malpractice clients. Schedule your free claim review today by calling our office at (617) 391-9001 or by submitting an online contact form.