Amazon One Medical sued after patient prescribed inhaler dies in ER

Last Christmas, Philip Tong, 45, began coughing up blood and was short of breath. With his feet turning blue, he entered a video consultation with a clinician at Amazon One Medical. According to a lawsuit filed in October, he was advised to buy an inhaler.

Tong collapsed and died in an Oakland emergency room hours later.

Now, his family is suing Amazon One Medical for malpractice, along with the Oakland hospital. According to coverage from the Washington Post, the lawsuit marks the first wrongful death claim against One Medical, which was purchased by Amazon in February 2023.

Tong had diabetes and had suffered from flu-like symptoms for a week prior to his death. His family claims Amazon One Medical should have recognized that Tong needed emergency care based on his symptoms.

In the lawsuit, Amazon One Medical is accused of lacking “adequately trained and qualified staff,” resulting in care that was “careless, reckless, and negligent.”

In response, Amazon One Medical said it is prohibited from discussing the case.

“We care deeply about every patient we serve, and the quality and safety of our care are our highest priorities,” an Amazon One Medical spokesperson told the Post in a statement. “We’re proud of our extensive quality and safety measures, and the health outcomes we help our patients achieve. We take concerns about our care extremely seriously, and we’re committed to continuous improvement.”

Questions remain about the quality of Amazon One Medical's digital health consultations. Citing a leaked report, the Post noted that One Medical was hit with layoffs after the Amazon buyout, with clinicians working tighter schedules. In fact, two patients in the report noted that their doctor was in their car during virtual care appointments. 

Additionally, concerns were raised about the way staff handled urgent medical cases.

The lawsuit is expected to move forward in March.

Read the full report from The Washington Post at the link below.