title: Damages claim for wrongful birth due to a systems failure.
abstract: Health professionals are well versed in the need to have systems in place which avoid mishaps happening to patients due to human error or breakdown in communications: for example, legal actions for damages for operations wrongfully performed on patients due to a failure in the identification process; surgery involving the wrong limb or organ; medications being given to the wrong patient. Hospitals set in place systems by which a patient's name and procedures to be performed are checked multiple times throughout the patient's stay. This process is particularly vital when a patient is undergoing a surgical procedure which will be performed under anaesthesia. Nevertheless, systems failures continue to occur resulting in claims for damages by affected patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Lidcombe NSW 1825, Australia. mairjl@optusnet.com.au
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mair
mesh_terms: D020958:Australian Capital Territory; D035881:Compensation and Redress / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016365:Liability, Legal; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009099:Multiple Birth Offspring / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012308:Risk Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D015974:Wrongful Life