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Most Hospital Errors Remain Unreported
A new study by the Department of Health and Human Services has found that only one out of seven adverse events affecting hospitalized Medicare patients is reported. Adverse events can include bedsores, hospital-acquired infections, medication errors and surgical errors.
Despite an initiative by the Obama administration to curb medical errors, the new study finds that adverse events are rarely reported. This makes corrective action that much more difficult for regulators or administrators who seek to cut down on medical errors. Even in the cases where adverse events were reported, very few hospitals made changes to existing policies to try and address those errors. One of the conditions for hospitals accepting payments from the Medicare system is that they track medical errors and their causes to improve the standard of care. Not only are the majority of errors going unreported, but the HHS study shows that many hospital employees “do not recognize what constitutes patient harm”. These types of excuses are unacceptable, and despite numerous studies with similar findings it seems that many hospitals are incapable of addressing the declining standards of the care that they provide.
Colling Gilbert Wright have spent years representing families who have been harmed by medical errors and negligence. If you or a loved one have been harmed by avoidable medical error or a negligent healthcare provider, call us for a free evaluation of your potential claim or visit www.thefloridafirm.com .
