The Problem of Medical Error

Those of us who work within the hospital based healthcare system understand that the problem of medical eror in hospitals is a serious national concern. An article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November  2010 showed the results of a study revealing that 25% of all hospital admissions resulted in some type of harm to patients. Harmful, or “Adverse Medical Outcome” events include hospital acquired infections, drug reactions, major surgical complications, nosocomial pneumonia, falls, pressure ulcers or other events that would not have happened if the patient were not hospitalized.

It’s a frustrating and complex issue for those who have vowed to “first, do no harm”. One study recently showed that measures hospitals are taking to reduce error are ineffective 90% of the time. Electronic health records are actually taking practitioners away from the bedside and occupying over 30% of their workday hours, reducing time spent in direct patient care. With looming increases in healthcare consumption predicted to result from millions of newly insured Americans within the next year, the public can expect to experience longer waits resulting from a projected worsening of the present physician and nursing shortage.

Consumers of healthcare can do several things to ensure a greater margin of medical safety. First, become an informed consumer: about your health conditions, medications, treatment options, care providers and facilities that you frequent. Ask questions and request copies of your medical records. Keep a list of your current medications, health history and allergies with you at all times. Assign a surrogate health advocate to help you navigate a potential crisis, as people in crisis do not think clearly and it is never more important for doctors to have accurate information. Ask about your hospital’s safety culture scores and watch the people who work there. If anyone knows whether a hospital is safe, it’s the people who work within them. If you sense good teamwork, there is a good chance that you are in a hospital that has a high score for patient safety. And in these days, that is something we should ALL be insisting upon!