Study finds that younger doctors are better doctors
If you’re looking for a doctor, one factor that you may consider is that person’s age. Many people feel more comfortable with an older doctor. That person seems more knowledgeable and experienced, so they assume that they are going to get better medical care.
However, studies found that the opposite is true. The further removed a doctor is from medical school, the greater the odds that he or she will make a mistake. As one study put it: “Each decade since graduation from medical school was associated with a 4.5% increase in relative risk for patient mortality.”
Why does this happen?
One of the main reasons for this is simply that doctors may have a lot of real-world experience, but lack up-to-date knowledge about the medical industry. Technology progresses very quickly and new treatments are always available. A doctor who hasn’t learned about any of these new treatments for 40 years may not be able to offer you the best possible care.
It is true that experience can be helpful for a doctor. In some cases, older doctors are able to quickly diagnose a condition that they’ve seen many times, even if it is relatively rare, when a younger doctor may not have seen it very often. And there are certainly many older doctors who offer excellent care, along with younger doctors who make mistakes.
But the fact of the matter is that these mistakes statistically happen more often to a specific group of doctors who fit into this age bracket. Those who have suffered harm need to know exactly what legal options they have at their disposal.