Trust is a main component of any type of relationship. You entrust your spouse to be faithful, you entrust your accountant to keep track of your finances, and most importantly you entrust your Chicago doctors, nurses and hospitals to take care of your life when you need it the most.
If you are hurt due to negligence or medical malpractice, it is important for your doctor to admit to mistakes immediately in order to keep your confidence and alleviate the situation. It is also important for your doctor to make decisions that are based on your medical needs and care instead of making decisions about your care based on financial gain and other kickbacks.
Although many patients who have never experienced a negative encounter with their physicians may fully trust that their doctors are keeping their best interests in mind, patients do need to understand that their doctors may be hiding some information from them.
When patients are referred to a specialist or other type of healthcare program, patients need to question how these referrals will benefit them. Patients should also inquire about the type of relationship their doctors may have with pharmaceutical companies and other medical providers in order to determine whether their doctors may be making decisions about one’s medical care based on other influences in addition to one’s medical needs.
Recently, Cooper Health System and Cooper University Hospital agreed to pay $2.4 million to a New Jersey cardiologist in a whistleblower case. Cooper was found to have set up an elaborate sham system that gave cardiologists with large practices substantial kickbacks for referring patients to Cooper’s medical center.
While the whistleblower doctor demonstrated a great deal of moral fortitude when dealing with the implications of this case, some doctors are not as honest and this type of action continues to go on in the medical and healthcare industry.
Source: Forbes, “Whistleblower Lawsuit Yields $2.4 Million For New Jersey Cardiologist,” Larry Husten, Jan. 31, 2013
- Our Chicago medical malpractice firm provides counsel to hospital patients and their families who have been harmed by medical negligence and doctors’ errors. To learn more about our firm and practice, please visit our Chicago medical negligence attorneys page.
