A recent study published in the September 2013, edition of the Journal of Patient Safety revealed that between 210,000 and 440,000 patients die every year as a result of preventable medical mistakes. The study also indicated that medical mistakes leading to serious harm may be 10 to 20 times more frequent than mistakes leading to lethal harm. These alarming figures place medical errors as the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer.
The study classified medical mistakes in the following five categories:
- Errors of Commission;
- Errors of Omission;
- Errors of Communication;
- Errors of Context; and
- Diagnostic Errors.
The author of the study, John T. James, wrote that “the epidemic of patient harm in hospitals must be taken more seriously if it is to be curtailed”. What is even more troubling is the fact that the number of preventable medical mistakes appears to have increased a great deal over the years. Data from 1984 prepared by the Institute of Medicine estimated that, at the time, approximately 98,000 American patients died per year due to medical errors.
The first Canadian study providing a national estimate of medical errors was performed in 2004 and is still frequently quoted today. In this study, the author estimated that 70,000 of the unintended injuries or complications resulting in death, disability or prolonged hospital stay during medical care were potentially preventable. Furthermore, a 2008 Canadian study has shown that the total number of unintended injuries or complications in hospitals has increased by 1.7% since 2004.
This major increase in deaths caused by preventable medical mistakes clearly shows the need for improved safety and increased accountability from health care providers in both the U.S. and Canada.
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