If you aren’t familiar with the term “never events”, in medicine, it is exactly what it sounds like. Never events are errors which are so egregious that should simply never happen. Many make up the horror stories you hear about, such as amputation of the wrong limb or surgery performed on the wrong patient. Some are less obvious to patients and loved ones, but unacceptable and serious errors. There has been a movement to eliminate never events for nearly 20 year, but they still occur. If you or someone you love has suffered a never event, talk to an experienced medical malpractice attorney today.
Examples of Never Events
The National Quality Forum (NQF) lists 29 never events and places them into seven categories.
The seven event categories are as follows:
- Surgical or invasive procedure
- Product or device
- Patient protection
- Care management
- Environmental
- Biological
- Criminal
Examples of never events include any of the following when they result in serious injury or death, and some no matter what the outcome:
- Surgery on the wrong patient
- Surgery on the wrong body part
- Foreign object unintentionally left inside the body after surgery
- Use of a contaminated product or device
- Improper use of a device
- Suicide, attempted suicide, or self-harm in a healthcare setting
- Elopement
- Releasing a patient who is unable to make decisions, unless released to an authorized person
- Medication error
- Bedsores developed in a healthcare setting
- Falls in a healthcare setting
- Unsafe administration of blood products
- Artificial insemination with the wrong sperm or wrong egg
- Serious injury or death or mother or baby during labor and delivery in a low-risk pregnancy
- Electric shock causing injury or death during care in a healthcare setting
- Metallic object in MRI are causing injury or death
- Abduction, sexual abuse, serious harm, or death due to criminal assault on the grounds of a healthcare setting, or care provided by a person impersonating a healthcare professional
If you know or suspect that your injuries were caused by medical negligence, please contact us to be connected to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in your state.
