Technology has become an integral part of daily life in this country – and it’s also a critical tool in medicine.
Unfortunately, technology also tends to be highly addictive. Personal electronic devices like smartphones, tablets and computers have a huge potential to be distractions that can lead to problems with patient care, with results that can be disastrous.
Even medical professionals have a hard time putting their phones down
“Distracted doctoring” or “distracted practice” is a term used to describe a situation where a medical professional lets their mind wander away from the patient in front of them. Interruptions, personal conversations, fatigue and stress can all cause a medical provider to lose focus, but there’s little question that smartphones have become one of the biggest distractions in medicine.
Just like drivers who can’t seem to stop texting and driving, doctors and other medical professionals seem to be prone to pulling out their smartphones in the most bewildering settings. One surgeon even tried to contest a traffic ticket in court over Zoom while he was in the middle of operating on a patient – and that’s not the first incident of its kind (and probably won’t be the last.)
Regardless of the medical setting, every patient deserves their medical provider’s undivided attention. Doctors and nurses who are distracted during their patient interactions may “tune out” what a patient is trying to tell them or overlook important indications of a serious medical problem. They may also simply make mistakes that put a patient’s health in danger.
If you or your loved one has been the victim of distracted doctoring, you have every right to seek fair compensation for your injuries and losses. Learning more about how medical malpractice claims work may help you decide how to proceed.