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Hospital Staff Shortages Puts Patients at Risk

An echocardiogram is a test in which sound waves are used to create a moving picture of the heart. It's a non-invasive procedure that allows doctors to diagnose and evaluate the following:
• Heart murmurs
• Abnormal heart valves
• Determine the pumping ability
• Determine if there are signs of fluid, blood clots or tumors in areas of the heart
• Determine the size of the chambers of the heart

When the announcement was made, a team of cardiologists started reviewing the unread tests. In some instances signs of heart disease were found in the echocardiograms. Upon the news, The New York state health commissioner ordered an investigation to determine how the oversight came about.

Since the story came out more troubling developments have been revealed. Two doctors were disciplined by Harlem Hospital having never bothered to read the tests. A hospital employee is alleging more than 200 heart patients have died since undergoing these tests which were never seen by physicians at the hospital. Several physicians have come forward stating they knew about the backlog, but were understaffed and hospital administrators had consistently declined their requests for additional help. The number of unread tests is now said to be 5,000. An additional 2,000 tests that were seen by doctors but had not been signed by them were also reviewed.

Columbia University which provides doctors for Harlem Hospital came across the gross error during a routine review of hospital operations. As a result, an administrator for Columbia has been fired and another demoted.

At one point during the review, Harlem's Hospital managing corporation and Columbia University stated they had gone through 2,725 of the old echocardiograms and none of the patients needed follow-up care. However, one cardiologist at another hospital who was recruited to review the tests claimed half of the tests were irregular and that 20 percent to 30 percent of the patients needed immediate medical care.

Harlem Hospital states the investigation has concluded and a total of 14 patients might have been misdiagnosed because their tests were not handled properly. Twelve of the patients have been notified, while two others are still being sought out.

As a Florida Medical Malpractice law firm, we understand that there is an accepted minimum standard of care which must be met with any medical procedure or test. That includes who is qualified to read and interpret the test results.

Patients are entitled to rely on the belief that the interpretation of tests they are given were done by a professional, meeting that minimum standard of care. If the test and the interpretation of the test did not meet the minimum standard of care, and the patient was harmed, they may have the basis for a claim for medical negligence and should contact an experienced Medical Malpractice lawyer.

Source: New York Times
June 2010

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