It’s not always easy to park and get to the office or clinic you need at a major hospital. When you have to go regularly for chemotherapy treatments, this can be overwhelming. However, many hospitals offer chemotherapy treatment in outpatient clinics away from the hospital building. While these clinics still may be run by the hospital, they offer convenience and an easier way to get the chemotherapy you need to treat your cancer.
But Are Chemotherapy Outpatient Clinics Safe?
Going to an outpatient clinic for chemo may take less time and improve your quality of life. However, the chemotherapy you receive must be safe and effective for you to realize these benefits. Chemotherapy provided at outpatient clinics has all of the same risks as chemo provided at the hospital. Additionally, you should be aware of a potentially increased risk of miscommunication that could impact the dose or type of chemo you receive, such as:
- A change in treatment order may not be immediately known. If your doctor makes a change the same day as your chemotherapy treatment, there could be a delay getting accurate and up-to-date information to the clinic.
- Confusion over chemotherapy orders. Without your doctor on-site, there could be confusion about which chemotherapy drug you should get or the correct dosage.
Either of these problems could cause you to receive the wrong medicine or the wrong dose of the right medicine. Technology, such as barcoding and electronic medical records, can help prevent these errors. Additionally, you can help prevent these problems by understanding what chemo drugs you should receive in what dosages and confirming your medication with outpatient clinic staff.
What to Do After a Chemotherapy Outpatient Clinic Mistake
The steps you take after a chemotherapy mistake at an outpatient clinic are the same steps you should take after any other chemotherapy error. While you get the medical care you need to fix medical issues that arose because of the chemo error and while you receive the right chemotherapy to treat your cancer, you should contact an experienced Kentucky chemotherapy injury lawyer. Our legal team and staff nurse will find out exactly what happened to you and hold the right people accountable for your injuries. We will fight to get you the fair and full recovery you deserve. Contact us any time, 24/7/365, to find out more.