{"id":7898,"date":"2019-08-07T15:37:48","date_gmt":"2019-08-07T19:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:10028\/uncategorized\/medi-teddys-to-the-rescue\/"},"modified":"2019-08-07T15:37:48","modified_gmt":"2019-08-07T19:37:48","slug":"medi-teddys-to-the-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/napolilaw.lemonadestand.org\/en\/article\/medi-teddys-to-the-rescue\/","title":{"rendered":"Medi Teddys to the Rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"

A young girl struggling with a rare autoimmune disorder had a unique idea to make the medical process<\/a> easier for child patients, their families, and their caregivers.<\/p>\n

When she was seven years old, doctors diagnosed Ella Casano, who is now 12, with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura.<\/p>\n

ITP causes the patient\u2019s body to attack its own blood platelets, so the patient is at a much higher risk for severe bleeding and bacterial infection.<\/p>\n

Ella\u2019s treatment regimen includes intensive IV infusions about once every two months.<\/p>\n

The amount of medicine was intimidating, so the creative girl \u201ccut up a stuffed animal and used a hot glue gun and made her very first Medi Teddy,\u201d according to her mother.<\/p>\n

Ella\u2019s nurses say her invention will help ease children\u2019s fears, making their illnesses easier to diagnose and treat.<\/p>\n

Ella and her mother researched business plans and intend to file legal paperwork.<\/p>\n

Once the Medi Teddy business is up and running, Ella plans to give the bears to other child patients for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Medical Misdiagnosis Among Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n

ITP is very hard to diagnose, largely because it has no signature symptoms and can strike anyone at any age.<\/p>\n

Misdiagnosis is very high in general. In fact, about a fifth<\/a> of physician diagnoses are inaccurate.<\/p>\n

In high school, an 80 is well above average.<\/p>\n

But in the doctor-patient context, 80 percent is a failing grade.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because doctors have a very high duty when it comes to patient care.<\/p>\n

That higher duty makes it easier to prove negligence and obtain damages, as outlined below.<\/p>\n

Lack of information may be the root of the misdiagnosis problem.<\/p>\n

On average, doctors listen to patients for about eleven seconds<\/a> before they interrupt them.<\/p>\n

During such brief interaction, it\u2019s impossible for doctors to learn any meaningful new information about the patient\u2019s symptoms.<\/p>\n

Instead, many doctors simply go with their guts.<\/p>\n

Compounding the issue, many doctors do not order a full range of diagnostic tests.<\/p>\n

They are afraid the insurance company will refuse to pay for them.<\/p>\n

As a result, the information is even more limited. In other situations, doctors over-delegate.<\/p>\n

They instruct nurses or technicians to interpret the results, and these professionals may not have the requisite skills to do so.<\/p>\n

Cancer is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions, particularly among children.<\/p>\n

When a child complains of weakness, lethargy, pain, and other generalized symptoms, most doctors do not think of cancer.<\/p>\n

For most physicians, cancer is a genetic or lifestyle disease. In their minds, nonsmokers do not get lung cancer, men do not get breast cancer, and children do not get any kind of cancer.<\/p>\n

As a result, the disease spreads and quickly becomes unmanageable.<\/p>\n

Cancer survival rates have improved significantly since the 1990s, but that improvement relies on a prompt and accurate diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Your Claim for Damages<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Medical misdiagnosis almost always is medical malpractice, which is a lack of ordinary care.<\/p>\n

If that lack of care substantially caused injury, the tortfeasor (negligent actor) may be liable for damages.<\/p>\n

In this situation, the doctor may not be the only responsible party.<\/p>\n

The clinic, hospital, or other organization which employed the doctor, or gave the doctor a place to work, may be responsible as well.<\/p>\n

The respondeat superior<\/em> doctrine applies if the tortfeasor:<\/p>\n