Doctors Make Mistakes. A New Documentary Explores What Happens When They Do —and How to Fix It

People accept it as fact: that to err is human. Every misstep is an opportunity to learn and improve. But when the mistakes are made by doctors, lives can be compromised, or even lost. Among malpractice claims, about 30% are due to diagnostic errors, according to a report by Coverys, a malpractice services provider. In the U.S. in 2017, surgeons either operated on the wrong patient, the wrong site or performed the wrong procedure 95 times, according to the Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies many healthcare systems in the country. To Err is Human, a new documentary from 3759 Films and Tall Tale Productions that’s now available on Amazon and iTunes, explores the tragic outcomes of medical errors and the medical culture that allows them to persist. The film follows the Sheridans, a family from Boise, Idaho on their journey to understand how two major medical errors befell their family: one that contributed to a case of cerebral palsy, and another that involved a delayed cancer diagnosis and ended in death. Many problems contribute to medical errors, the documentary finds, from fatigue of medical staff due to overwork and grueling shifts, to poor communication among employees in hospitals, to a culture in health care that often does not accept accountability for mistakes. Sue Sheridan describes how her first child, Cal, was jaundiced as a newborn, but since many newborns have some amount of jaundice, doctors didn’t take it seriously and discharged her s...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Health Care Source Type: news