HEALTH CONSUMER

How to Avoid Medical Errors

By Kristie Reilly and Sherry Baker @sherrynewviews
 | 
November 22, 2022
How to Avoid Medical Errors

Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer, but you can take steps to get safe healthcare.

Medical errors — even glaring ones, such as operating on the wrong limb, giving a patient a life-threatening overdose of drugs, or leaving a surgical instrument inside the body — occur surprisingly often. In fact, several studies over many years have come up with the same conclusion: Medical errors are the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and cancer, in the U.S.

Yet only 10 percent of medical errors are reported. Healthcare professionals can fear punishment or shame. Medical errors, however, are an opportunity to improve the quality of healthcare.

 

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A Johns Hopkins study found that more than 250,000 Americans of all ages die from medical errors each year. An analysis of multiple studies about medical mistakes, however, published in the Journal of Patient Safety, revealed an even more sobering figure — as many as 400,000 people in the U.S. may be dying prematurely because of medical errors.

What’s more, the actual number of people dying as a result of medical errors may be even higher, according to a CNBC report on the issue. That’s because the death statistics are based on official death certificates, signed by doctors, undertakers, or medical examiners: The documents rarely mention “human error” or “medical system failure.”

Martin Makary, MD, professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an authority on health reform, has been an outspoken critic of the way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports causes of deaths, too. The CDC tallies only deaths occurring from diseases, death-causing conditions, and injuries — leaving out deaths resulting from medical errors. Despite Makary’s pleas for a change in this policy, it remains the same.

Some actions are being taken to reduce the risks for medical errors. A CDC report found an across-the-board decrease in all forms of hospital-acquired infections over several years. In his book about hospital and patient safety, “Checklist,” Harvard Medical School professor and surgeon Atul Gawande, MD, explains how simple changes, like empowering nurses to enforce the steps on a safety checklist with doctors, have resulted in dramatic reductions in error, infection, and complication rates at hospitals around the country.

The bottom line: There’s no reason not to get medical care when you need it or to assume your local hospital is a dangerous place. It makes sense, however, to take steps to get the safest care.

For starters, you can check out the safety record of your local and regional hospitals. The federal government has been tougher on preventable errors. Since December 2014, the Medicare system has penalized hundreds of hospitals for having high rates of avoidable errors such as infections. You can see the full list here.  

The Leapfrog Group, an independent non-profit organization that rates hospitals for safety, notes more hospitals are taking action to be smarter about patient safety. For example, an electronic patient-tracking system can issue an alert when prescribing an adult dose of a medication for a child. Some hospitals use wrist bands with bar codes that must be scanned when a patient is given a dose of medication. The device matches the prescription to the patient and tracks each time a pill is taken.  

Although medical errors remain a risk, you can use strategies to protect yourself — or a family member — while in the hospital:

  1. Make sure healthcare providers wash their hands. You need to wash yours, too. This step may seem small, but it’s crucial for preventing infection. You don’t have to be confrontational. Simply ask politely: Can you wash your hands before the examination? You could mention that it will make you feel better to see your doctor or nurse do so.
  2. Bring an advocate. When you are a patient, take a friend or family member with you to the hospital or surgery center. It’s human nature to forget to ask important questions, or neglect to write down instructions, during a hurried appointment. Having someone there to ask the questions that slip your mind or advocate for you when discussing treatment options can be a real help.
  3. Verify every prescription pill you take. If you’re in the hospital, you don’t want to take the wrong pill for your condition. Remember the color and dosage of the pills you’re regularly taking — such as two yellow pills, three times a day. Then, if you’re given something different, like a single blue pill, ask why. Don’t take the medication until you’re satisfied with an answer. You have a right to know what medication you’re taking. Checking could prevent a complication or error.
  4. Carry a list of your medications, health problems, and allergies. Have the list with you at all times, and give a copy to your significant other or a friend so your healthcare providers are aware of anything that can cause an adverse event during your hospital stay.

 

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Updated:  

November 22, 2022

Reviewed By:  

Christopher Nystuen, MD, MBA and Janet O'Dell, RN