Medical Errors

Karen Cortez

Facts
- 440,000 Americans are dying annually from preventable
hospital errors.
- Putting medical errors as the third leading cause of death
in the United States.
- for every 1,000 patients who were released from the
hospital, about 121 incidents of harm occur

What Would be Defined as Medical Errors?

- Surgical tools left inside patients
- Using the wrong medication or dose
- Treating the wrong patient
- Misdiagnoses

How can Medical Errors Affect a Patient?

- Can cause infections
- Stress
- Can affect health
- Death

What Can a Patient do to Prevent Errors?

- If you are having surgery, make sure that you, your doctor, and your surgeon
all agree on exactly what will be done.
- Speak up if you have questions or concerns.
- Make sure that all of your doctors know about every medication you are
taking.
- Ask for information about your medicines in terms that you can understand.
- consider asking all health care workers who will touch you whether they have
washed their hands.

Why are Medical Errors not Reported?

- Doctors fear that:
- Their relationship with the patient may be affected
- Their reputation will be affected

- Lack of recognition
- To avoid a lawsuit
- Avoid stressing out the patient

What is being done to prevent errors?

- Bar code label rule
- Reviewing drug names
-

Pre-operatively, make sure all documents agree on the side and site of
surgery.
- Make sure its the correct patient.