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Did you know that Preventable Medical Errors are the eighth leading cause of death in America? What can you do to protect yourself from becoming the next victim?
A recently released report from the National Academy of Science’s Institute showed that that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year in U.S. hospitals because of mistakes made by medical professionals. This shocking fact means that more people die from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or Aids.
Dr. Donald Berwick of the Institute of Medicine believes that the figures for medical mistakes given in the report are in reality much higher. The first reason he gives is that many errors are never even written down, much less reported. Dr. Berwick goes on to say that the current medical errors study didn’t include other important areas in the health care system where mistakes can be made:
. Ambulatory Clinics
. Out Patients Surgery Centers
. Doctors’ Offices
. Nursing Homes
. Pharmacies
. Patients’ Homes
The first question that needs to be answered is what causes medical errors? They happen when something that was planned as part of a person’s medical treatment doesn’t work out, or when the wrong plan or medication was used in the first place.
Medication errors are among the most widespread, usually involving the patient getting the wrong prescription or dosage. That’s why when your doctor writes a prescription, make sure that you can read it and know what it is for. Name confusion is among the most common causes of drug-related errors. Ever wonder why so many drugs have names that sound alike? Also, when you pick up your prescription from your pharmacist, don’t be afraid to ask is this the medicine my doctor ordered? It’s also a good idea to have a copy of The Physician’s Desk Reference in your home. If you’re taking a new drug, you can look it up in the PDR and find out what adverse reactions have been reported. Being able to do this literally saved my life, when I had an adverse reaction to a cholesterol-lowering drug that I was taking. I must also mention that older patients are at special risk for medications, which can have life-threatening consequences because the aging body has less ability to metabolize.
Surgical errors also account for a high percentage of medical errors. A study in Utah and Colorado found they caused one out of eight deaths. What can you do to help ensure your surgical experience has a positive outcome? First, if you have a choice, choose a hospital at which many patients have had the same type of surgery you need. If you are having surgery, make sure you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree and are clear on exactly what will be done. I think it’s very important, especially if you have many health problems, that your personal doctor be in charge of your overall care while you are in the hospital. Now, everyone has heard of wrong–site surgery. It’s rare but certainly 100 percent preventable. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has come up with a very practical suggestion. It urges its members sign their initials directly on the site of the operation on before surgery.
Other medical errors include making the wrong diagnose, giving patients the wrong blood type, post–surgical wound infection, and misinterpretation of someone else’s medical orders.
How can medical errors be reduced? The Institute of Medicine says the VA health care system is an excellent example of how this can be done. The VA has improved its medication safety record by using a new bar-coding system to prevent and track medical errors. Here is how it works. Identification strips are worn by nurses and patients and attached to medications. Before giving a patient a drug, a nurse scans all three ID strips into a computer, which verifies that the drug is being given correctly, and will not cause drug interactions. In a five-year period, in VA hospitals where this system was used, medication errors went down 70 percent.
The Institute of Medicine has also suggested laws that would require hospitals first and, later clinics, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes, to report to state officials any deaths or serious injuries caused by medical errors. Information on less serious errors would be given in exchange for confidentiality. Hopefully, this would encourage the growth of voluntary reporting systems. The biggest barrier to mandatory reporting has been the fear by physicians and hospitals that they would open themselves up to more malpractice suits.
Finally this groundbreaking report concluded by urging Congress to create a National Center for Patient Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its goals would be to act as a clearinghouse for information on patient safety nation wide and to fund research on better ways to prevent such errors.
Unfortunately, Congress hasn’t passed any legislation to create a voluntary, confidential system for reporting medical errors or a National Center for Patient Safety. What’s a poor consumer to do? Become responsible for helping to prevent medical errors that might harm you. Consumer education is the key. You must be vigilant about your healthcare and any treatments that you may receive. Keep organized records of any doctors that you see, and what medications you are taking. Above all, be persistent, ask questions when things don’t seem right.
For more information on how you can prevent medical errors go to www.ahcpr.gov.
You can also call 1-800-358-9295 and request the publication
20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors.
Two books that I recommend are:
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