A report in the April issue of Health Affairs indicates that one in three patients who are admitted to a US hospital suffer from a mistake. [1]

According to the Center for Disease Control (2002) 100,000 patients die from infections contracted in US hospitals. [2]

According to a comprehensive study by HeathGrades (2004) another 195,00 patients die in hospitals from preventable errors [3]

According to the Institute of Medicine (2006) one and a half million patients are harmed from preventable drug-related errors. Of these, 400,000 are preventable drug-related injuries that occur each year in hospitals; another 800,000 occur in long-term care settings, and roughly 530,000 occur among Medicare recipients in outpatient clinics. The IOM committee report noted that these are likely underestimates. [4]

The New York Times reports (below) that NY state inspectors have found that "long after a major Brooklyn hospital said it had stopped over-radiating premature babies, inappropriate X-rays were still being administered as recently as January." The inspectors found 27 instances of infants having been subjected multiple times to over-radiation.

The state inspections were prompted by a February investigative report by The Times that revealed that in 2007, doctors at the Brooklyn hospital of the NY State University Downstate Medical Center discovered that premature babies had frequently been subjected to whole body X-rays when only chest exams had been ordered. Although doctors had discovered the over-radiation errors, they were never reported to NY State health officials as required.

Given the appaling number of preventable deaths and injuries due to negligence by physicians, medical support staff, and medical institutions that shield them, why are Americans reluctant to complain–even when they witness practices that undermine patient safety?

Maureen Dowd sheds light on why we are reluctant to take charge and give doctors orders to protect ourselves and our loved ones from negligent doctors who are clearly not guided by the Hippocratic Oath requiring doctors to "do no harm."

"I saw infractions of the rules in the I.C.U. where Michael died, but I never called out anyone. I was too busy trying to ingratiate myself with the doctors, nurses and orderlies, irrationally hoping that they’d treat my brother better if they liked us."

Doctors and nurses who fail to comply with hand washing rules, doctors who wear ties–even in the knowledge that ties have been shown to spread lethal infectious diseases– may be accused of homicidal negligence. Such doctors should lose their license and hospitals that fail to enforce safety measures should be publicly identified.

References:

1. Still Crossing The Quality Chasm—Or Suspended Over It? http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/30/4/554.full

2. Estimating Health Care-Associated Infections and Deaths in U.S. Hospitals, 2002 http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/hicpac/infections_deaths.pdf

3 Patient Safety in American Hospitals Study Released by HealthGrades, July 2004 http://www.healthgrades.com/media/english/pdf/hg_patient_safety_study_final.pdf

4. Preventing Medication Errors:Quality Chasm http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?recordid=11623

Vera Sharav