• The Importance of Health Diaries for Proactive Patients

    As a patient, it’s essential for you to be as proactive as possible when it comes to your health. After all, you will be able to monitor your own health better than anybody else will. One of the most important actions you can take is to keep a regular health diary. These are some of the benefits of keeping up with your health diary:

    It will provide you with a guide to your symptoms.
    Regardless of what type of health issue you are dealing with, having a health diary will allow you to keep track of your symptoms. When you have a health diary, you can make a note of when you experienced your symptoms, how long they lasted, and how severe they were. As you track these changes over time, it can help you get a better perspective on your health. It can help your doctor with a proper diagnosis and plan of care.

    It will help you have meaningful discussions with your physician.
    When many patients visit their healthcare providers, they have trouble being specific in terms of the symptoms they have experienced. Keeping a regular health diary allows you to access that information whenever you need to so that you can get better and more appropriate care from your physician.

    It will provide you with a record of your health issues.
    Most importantly, a health diary provides you with an ongoing record of the status of your health. It can provide valuable information to your loved ones should you be in need of care and treatment, and unable to communicate on your own.

    If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson LLC in New York. For 46 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

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  • Understanding Lawsuit Time Limits

    If you have been harmed by substandard care that was provided to you by a medical professional, you may be wondering how long you have to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases differs from state to state. In the state of New York, generally, a medical malpractice claim must be filed within two and a half years from the time that the negligent action took place.  However, there are many variables as to what the actual time limit is based on the types of health care providers. It is often confusing for the layperson. To be safe, speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as you suspect medical negligence may have occurred.

    If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson LLC in New York. For 46 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

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  • Spotlight on Medication Errors

    It would be hard to overstate the importance of avoiding medication errors. If a patient does not take the proper dosage of a medication or is given the wrong prescription, it can have serious consequences for his or her health and possibly their life. It’s always a good time to check that you know all of the important information you should about any medications you are taking. Here’s how you can help prevent medication errors:

    Get instructions from your physician.
    It’s important to get thorough instructions from your physician or your pharmacist on how to take your medication. You should know what dosage you should be taking, when to take it, and how many days you should be taking it for. If anything is unclear to you, be sure to ask for clarification.

    Ask about drug interactions.
    Your physician should be made aware of any other medications you are taking, so that you will not be prescribed a drug that may have a dangerous interaction. Make sure that you also know about any possible side effects the medication may have, and whether it interacts negatively with any foods, such as juices or alcohol.

    Make sure you know the medication name.
    Confusing one medication with another is a common mistake, and it can be an extremely serious one. Many medications have names that sound similar, so it’s important to make sure that you know both the generic name and the brand name of the medication you are taking.

    If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson LLC in New York. For 46 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

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  • Knowing the Symptoms of Diabetes

    If you have diabetes, it’s important that you are made aware of it as soon as possible so that you can take steps to protect your health. Diabetes has a number of warning signs that you should be alert to, including increased hunger and thirst, a constantly dry mouth, and an unusually persistent need to urinate. Other common symptoms of diabetes include chronic fatigue, sudden weight loss, and severe headaches. You may also experience blurred vision. If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, you should talk to your physician as soon as possible.

    If you are concerned about a misdiagnosis or possible medical error, contact the law firm of Pegalis & Erickson LLC in New York. For 45 years, we have advocated for people of all ages, in order to help our clients financially and make healthcare safer for everyone. You can reach us today by calling (516) 684-2900.

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