If a patient experiences a medical mistake by a healthcare provider they may soon have the opportunity to report that error to a federal database. Since currently so many medical errors go unreported, the government hopes the additional information gathered from patients will help prevent errors and improve health care systems. “Patient reports could complement […]
If you are planning to have surgery soon, or otherwise find yourself in the hospital, you should make a point to be actively involved in your care. Medical errors continue to be a major problem in U.S. hospitals. These include medication errors, wrong-site surgeries and hospital negligence leading to infections and delayed diagnosis. One way to help […]
Medication errors injure approximately 1.3 million Americans each year and cause, on average, at least one death every day. All told, these errors cost over $3.5 billion each year. The Federal Drug Administration lists several common causes of the errors, including poor communication, poor procedures or techniques, confusing packaging and ambiguities in product names or […]
Technology: Causing Medical Errors Instead of Preventing Them
Despite being born 16 weeks early, baby Genesis was quickly adapting to life outside the womb. His parents were thrilled with his progress until his recovery took a tragic turn. His mother was told to come to the hospital immediately, where she saw CPR being administered to her son. After 40 minutes, Genesis was pronounced […]
July is a wonderful month in many respects, summer is in full swing, and people are enjoying nice weather and time outside. For hospital patients, however, studies show July can be a dangerous time. Why is this summer month an unfortunate time to visit the hospital? There is a so-called “July Effect”. Every year in […]
Study Says Benefits of E-Prescribing Outweigh Implementation Challenges
A study recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that implementing new electronic prescribing systems can decrease the occurrence of medication errors, but it also can present adaptation challenges for physicians using the systems. Researchers at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College analyzed e-prescribing implementation at a clinic with 17 doctors between February […]
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