The 4Cs Of Primary Care Can Help Prevent Medical Malpractice In Tampa
Medical malpractice involves medication mistakes, misdiagnoses, and other errors that can seriously jeopardize patients. It can happen when dealing with doctors, nurses, diagnostic technicians, specialists, and surgeons.
One of the most common places for medical malpractice to occur is in primary care facilities, which is often the first point of care. Our Tampa medical malpractice attorney explains the ‘4Cs’ that govern this type of care. When primary care doctors fail to follow this formula and medical mistakes happen, we help you hold them accountable.
Assessing Whether Your Doctor Follows The 4Cs Of Primary Care
Public health officials warn that medical malpractice has reached epidemic proportions and are searching for ways to prevent it. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that for primary care doctors, following the ‘4Cs’ can help provide better patient service, reduce costs, and prevent medical mistakes. They represent core functions for quality primary care and can help reduce your risks of medical malpractice in Tampa:
- Contact
During your initial visit, providers should gather information on the patient’s health history, thoroughly assess the condition, and provide any immediate relief and medical services required. Watch rushed visits or office staff who fail to get all relevant information.
- Comprehensiveness
Primary care doctors need to focus on two areas in dealing with patients. One is providing immediate care by diagnosing, treating, and helping them rehabilitate from current injuries or illnesses. The other is assessing underlying symptoms, overall health, and potential future risks, ordering bloodwork, health care screenings, tests, and other prevention efforts as needed.
- Coordination
Your primary care doctor should be adept at referring patients to specialists and coordinating testing and treatment at other facilities. Their office should also be adept at coordinating and integrating these visits, relaying outcomes and test results. This plays a major role in providing quality care and preventing medical malpractice in Tampa.
- Continuity
In a perfect world, you and your doctor establish a relationship built on trust over the years. Unfortunately, it does not always work out this way. Lack of continuity in receiving medical care makes medical malpractice in Tampa more likely to happen.
If you have had to switch providers over the years, make sure your new primary care doctor has your complete medical history, provides follow-up after any testing or treatment, and otherwise takes the actions needed to maintain continuity of care.
Request A Consultation With Our Tampa Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today
Medical malpractice in Tampa can cause serious harm to patients. The risks increase when primary care doctors fail to follow the 4Cs. When medical mistakes or errors happen as a result, you have the right to hold them accountable under the Florida Statutes.
For trusted legal guidance in filing a claim, contact Greco & Wozniak, P.A. We offer the caring, comprehensive legal service you need to get compensation. Request a consultation with our experienced Tampa medical malpractice attorneys today.
Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8581591/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0766/0766ContentsIndex.html
