We need a more comprehensive approach to investigating medical mistakes

From the wrong diagnosis to the incorrect medication, medical mistakes kill as many as 250,000 people annually in the United States — and injure thousands more. This figure could be much higher, considering there’s never been an actual count of how many patients experience preventable harm. We only have an approximate figure, which may indeed be very far off from the truth, considering the inaccuracies in medical records and the unwillingness of some providers to report medical errors. Regardless, the number is staggering enough as-is, making medical errors the third-leading cause of death in America, after heart disease, which is considered to be the number one cause, and cancer, which comes in second. But the purpose of this article is not to shame doctors or nurses, but rather to alert for the need of more research to prevent medical errors from occurring in the first place. Researchers at John Hopkins School of Medicine caution that the majority of medical errors aren’t a result of inherently bad doctors, and that reporting these errors should not be addressed by punishment or legal action. Rather, the researchers affirm that: … most errors represent systemic problems, including poorly coordinated care, fragmented insurance networks, the absence or underuse of safety nets, and other protocols, in addition to unwarranted variation in physician practice patterns that lack accountability. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Malpractice Source Type: blogs