Medical Mistakes Are Now the Third Leading Cause of Death

 A new study conducted by patient-safety researchers at Johns Hopkins University has shown that medical errors in hospitals and other healthcare facilities are now the third leading cause of death in the United States. A news report in The Washington Post cites the study, published in the BMJ, formerly known as the British Medical Journal, which shows that mistakes made by medical professionals are so common that they claim about 251,000 lives each year beating out other risks such as Alzheimer’s, respiratory disease, traffic accidents and even stroke.

A Serious Problem, but Little Data
Martin Makary, a professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, who led the research for this study, told the Post that the medical errors his team looked at include everything from incompetent doctors to more systemic problems such as communication breakdowns among surgical teams or hospital staff. One shocking statement he makes is that “people are dying from the care they receive rather than the disease for which they are seeking care.”
Makary and his team performed a comprehensive analysis of four large national studies on patient safety and medical errors. His calculation of 251,000 deaths a year equates to 700 deaths a day – accounting for 9.5 percent of all deaths annually in the United States. According to the report, medical errors are also a touchy subject that not many wish to discuss and regarding which there is insufficient data.
Even a government agency such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sometimes does not require reporting of medical mistakes for certain information it collects about deaths, making it difficult to see what is going on at the national level. The study has recommended that CDC update its requirements so physicians report on medical errors that lead to preventable deaths.
Common Medical Mistakes
There are a number of situations that can lead to the filing of a medical malpractice claim. Most medical malpractice claims in New York City fall into one of the following categories:
• Diagnosis errors: This may include misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose and delayed diagnosis, all of which may cause a patient serious injury or harm. This is particularly true when it comes to diseases such as cancer where a patient’s survival might hinge on early diagnosis and treatment.
• Failure to warn: Doctors also have a duty to warn patients regarding known risks of a procedure or course of treatment. This duty is known as “informed consent.” Doctors have the responsibility to give patients as much information as possible so patients can weight the risks and benefits and make an informed choice regarding their course of treatment.
• Surgical errors: There are a number mistakes that can occur during a surgery and the reasons may vary anywhere from the surgeon’s incompetence to lack of communication among the surgical team. Common errors that may occur in the operating theater include wrong-site surgery, anesthesia errors, surgical fires and leaving objects inside the patient’s body.
• Infections: All hospitals are required to devise comprehensive infection prevention protocols. But neglecting to do so can prove extremely harmful or even lethal for patients.
• Medication errors: Administering the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage may also lead to serious health complications for patients. Medication errors can be made by a prescribing physician, a nurse administering the medication or even by a pharmacist who provides the medication to the patient.
Compensation for Victims
In order to seek damages by filing a medical malpractice claim, plaintiffs must prove that the negligence occurred, that there was a doctor-patient relationship, the negligence directly caused harm and that the plaintiff suffered quantifiable losses as a result of such negligence. Those affected by medical errors or negligence can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, loss of life’s enjoyment, permanent injury, disability, past and future pain and suffering, etc. The value or worth of each medical malpractice claim will depend on the facts of each case and the extent of injuries and losses sustained by each plaintiff.
If you or a loved one has been injured in New York as a result of medical negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can provide you with more information about pursuing your legal rights. Our clients have received verdicts of $43,940,000 and $23,500,000, respectively, in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/03/researchers-medical-errors-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-united-states/