Report Finds “Measurable Medical Errors” Cost The Economy $19.5 Billion
Several national investigations have focused attention on the alarming number of fatalities caused by preventable medical injures. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report that concluded that 98,000 patients die in hospitals due to avoidable medical errors. In 2009, Hearst Newspapers found that this number approaches 200,000 per year in the United States.
This week, the insurance industry consulting firm Milliman, Inc. put a price tag on the mistakes - issuing a report placing the cost of “measurable medical errors” at a staggering $19.5 billion.
According to the study, approximately $17 billion was the result of providing inpatient, outpatient and prescription drug services to individuals affected by medical errors. Another $1.1 billion was from lost productivity due to related short-term disability claims, and $1.4 billion lost from increased death rates among individuals who experienced medical errors.
The most common avoidable medical errors include:
• Post-operative infections
• Equipment failures
• Wrong site surgeries
• Medication errors
• Falls
As noted in the report “while this cost is staggering, it also highlights the need to reduce errors and improve quality and efficiency in American healthcare.”
We fully agree. As Hawaii personal injury attorneys, we’ve seen first hand the devastating effects medical mistakes can have on individuals and their families, both emotionally and financially. For more information, or if you believe you or a loved one has been injured by a medical error, contact Bostwick & Peterson, LLP dedicated to helping the victims of medical malpractice.
