Firm News

Medical Errors That Are Preventable Kill 98,000 Americans Every Year

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) sounded an alarm about the widespread results of medical errors over ten years ago with their groundbreaking report titled "To Err is Human."  At the time of the reports publication, there was a rush of congressional hearings and many political promises of medical error reforms.  In actuality since the hype of the report, little or nothing has been done to reform the short comings nor have any of the key reforms recommended in the report been implemented according to Consumers Union (CU).  CU is the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

  A new report was just issued, ‘To Err is Human - To Delay  is Deadly" CU gives details of the lack of action since the earlier report ten years ago.  The IOM estimates that as many as 98,000 Americans die each year as the result of preventable medical errors.  This new report was released just as congress and the Obama administration are working on legislation to address the rising cost of healthcare in the U.S.  CU argues that reducing medical harm such as hospital acquired infections would not only improve patient care but also provide a significant cost reduction which could be used to expand healthcare coverage to those families not now covered.  

A spokes person for CU stated that, "There is little evidence to suggest that the number of people dying from medical harm has dropped since the IMO first warned about these deadly mistakes almost a decade ago."  During those ten years, a million American lives have been lost due to medical errors.  There has also been billions of dollars wasted because our healthcare system failed to adopt key reforms recommended by the IOM.  These key reforms will protect patients and reduce healthcare costs.  As the debate over health care heats up in Washington, Congress should make sure that improving patient safety is a central part of any reform legislation it adopts.  

The 1999 report estimated that medical errors cost the U.S. $17 - 29 billion every year.  It recommended sweeping changes to the healthcare system in order to improve patient safety.  The report called for a 50 percent reduction in medical errors over a five year period.  None of the suggested bills were adopted by congress and there has been no reduction in the number of people harmed and killed by medical errors in the last ten years.  

"One decade later, we can't say whether we are any better off today than when the IOM first sounded the alarm about medical errors in 1999," said Arthur Levin, Director of the Center for Medical Consumers and member of the IOM's Committee on the Quality of Health Care in America, which issued the landmark To Err is Human report. "We can't wait another decade to take the steps needed to protect patients from deadly and costly medical errors. The time to act is now. Too many lives and health care dollars are at stake." Levin assisted Consumers Union with its report.  

There is little evidence that physicians, nurses, and other health care providers are any more competent in patient safety practices than ten years ago.    

If a family member or other loved one has been the victim of a medical mistake you need an experienced medical malpractice attorney.  Please call or click to speak directly with an attorney with The Williams Law Group. We can help!  

Online - Click Here
Toll Free - 1.866.820.4457
Nashville - 615.313.3999
Lebanon - 615.444.2900  

Read More About Medical Errors That Are Preventable Kill 98,000 Americans Every Year...

back to top