Last week the first Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide was unveiled. The state sponsored website gives patients and their families access to more information about Illinois hospitals and medical providers than was previously available.
Currently, consumers can access a lot of information that from the new website that may be useful in making safe medical decisions. For example, consumers can determine the percentage of patients who felt that staff communicated well with them and explained procedures and medications adequately. They can access information about survival rates for different conditions. They can access safety information such as the percentage of time pre-surgical antibiotics were given correctly and at the right time. They can also find information about whether the facility routinely uses registered nurses (RNs) or nursing assistants.
All of this information may be helpful for individuals who need to make safe medical decisions. It may even lower a patient’s chances of getting hurt due to medical malpractice. However, it will not prevent all medical malpractice cases. Patients, and their families, should remember that medical malpractice occurs when a medical provider or facility is negligent. Negligence can, unfortunately, happen anywhere at anytime and cannot always be avoided by reviewing statistics.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to a medical malpractice then it is important to contact an Illinois medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible for a free consultation and to ensure that your legal right to potential damages is protected.