Medical Errors – The Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.

Back in 1999, a study was published which suggested that medical errors caused about 100,000 deaths each year.  This shocked the medical community and led to significant debate about the accuracy of that number as well as what could be done to reduce medical malpractice and other medical mistakes.  Since then, various sources have concluded that the 1999 study grossly underestimated the number of deaths caused by bad medicine.  For example, in 2008 the U.S. Inspector General concluded that there were 180,000 deaths due to medical errors just among hospital inpatients who were Medicare beneficiaries.

Well, a new study published this week in BJM (formerly the British Journal of Medicine), conducted by research physicians at Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, concluded that preventable medical errors number between 210,000 and 400,000 per year.  On average that is 700 deaths each day or nearly 10% of all deaths annually.  If medical error was a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. behind cancer and heart disease.  The authors of the study actually concluded that the incidence is really much higher because of the limitations in the data regarding death due to medical errors. Many of these limitations no doubt hinge on the reluctance of medical professionals and institutions to acknowledge the insidious nature of these statistics and to investigate and acknowledge errors when they occur.

Medical Mistakes No. 3 Cauise of Death in USA

So, what does this mean for the consumers of American medicine?  Nothing good and these statistics should be a giant wake-up call for the American public.  We need to demand more accountability from our doctors, hospitals and health care delivery system in general.  We need to open our eyes to the reality the the insurance industry and its propaganda machine have been attempting to conceal the reality that most medical malpractice lawsuits are not frivolous.  Time and again, this has been proven true by studies conducted by respected medical professionals at leading research institutions. While clearly we need to look for ways to reduce medical errors, recognizing and acknowledging the problem must be the first step.  Health is not supposed to kill you.

Posted in Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes |