Medical Errors News and Research

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Measurable medical errors cost U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008: Report

Findings from a new study released today estimate that measurable medical errors cost the U.S. economy $19.5 billion in 2008. Commissioned by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and completed by consultants with Milliman, Inc., the report used claims data to provide an actuarially sound measurement of costs for avoidable medical injuries. Of the approximately $80 billion in costs associated with medical injuries, around 25 percent were the result of avoidable medical errors.

9 Aug 2010

Today's OpEds: Medicare at 45; The politics of entitlement spending; Deciding health care's value

Forty-five years ago today, the creation of Medicare transformed our health-care system and our nation. It helped to make us a stronger and more prosperous country by freeing older Americans from the fear that sickness or injury would cost them their lifetime savings and security. ... The reason we have the Medicare we have today is that over the last 45 years, we have repeatedly acted to strengthen and update it for changing times (Kathleen Sebelius, 7/29).

31 Jul 2010

NYC hospitals agree to pilot program to cut medical-malpractice costs

To cut medical-malpractice costs, five New York City hospitals have agreed to a pilot program to divulge medical mistakes early, offer settlements quickly and use special state 'health courts,' where judges will help negotiate agreements before cases go to trial. The program, funded for three years with $3 million from the federal government, aims to cut the $1.4 billion spent annually in New York State on medical-malpractice premiums, hospital and state officials say.

23 Jul 2010

Botched breast reduction wins Victorian woman $133,000 compensation

A Victorian woman, Bronwyn Hooper, 47 moved to court after her breasts were disfigured during reconstructive surgery. The court has awarded her $133,000 as compensation. Her legal battle lasted five years with Dr. Narine Efe of East Melbourne.

19 Jul 2010

e-MDs selected for IFMC's HITREC Preferred Vendor List

e-MDs, an industry leader in the development and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) solutions, announced they have been chosen for the IFMC's Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (HITREC) Preferred Vendor List. The list represents the best products designed to help smaller practices and clinics achieve meaningful use of EHRs.

19 Jul 2010

Philadelphia to host 52nd annual meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Next week the city of Philadelphia will host the 52nd annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the premier organization in medical physics, a broadly-based scientific and professional discipline encompassing physics principles and applications in medicine and biology.

16 Jul 2010

Amnesty International reveals the rotting health care system in North Korea

According to a human rights group, Amnesty International, North Korea is unable to meet up to even the most basic health needs of its population. The report was released this Thursday.

15 Jul 2010

IBM and Peking University People's Hospital build evidence-based patient centric care system

IBM and Peking University People's Hospital have built an evidence-based patient centric care (ePC3) system to enable cooperation and resource sharing among medical services providers for improved patient care.

15 Jul 2010

Verizon Health Information Exchange to be available soon to share patient information

One of the biggest obstacles to sharing patient information electronically is that health care systems and providers use a wide range of incompatible IT platforms and software to create and store data in various formats. A new service – the Verizon Health Information Exchange – will soon be available via the "cloud" to address this challenge.

14 Jul 2010

APP receives FDA marketing clearance for preservative-free Heparin Lock Flush Solution

APP Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Fresenius Kabi Pharmaceuticals Holding, Inc., announced today that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market preservative-free Heparin Lock Flush Solution, USP in two dosage strengths, 10 USP Units/1 mL and 100 USP Units/1 mL, and will soon launch these single dose vial presentations.

6 Jul 2010

Survey of doctors suggests widespread 'defensive medicine'

HealthDay/Bloomberg Businessweek reports that a new survey published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that 91 percent of 2,416 doctors believe their colleagues practice defensive medicine by giving patients more tests and treatments as a means of protecting themselves from lawsuits. "In addition, 90.7 percent of the respondents believe better protection against unwarranted malpractice suits is necessary to reduce the number of unnecessary medical tests" (Preidt, 6/28).

30 Jun 2010

Jury still out on Patel case

It is the seventh day the Jury deliberating on the Patel manslaughter is sequestered at a Brisbane hotel. The Jury including six men and six women retired to an undisclosed Brisbane hotel last Wednesday to consider the case. Today also marks the 59th day of the trial.

28 Jun 2010

Neurosurgeons applaud newly-released draft standards for supervision, duty hours of medical residents

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Board of Neurological Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Society of Neurological Surgeons applaud the newly-released draft standards to revise the national requirements for the supervision and duty hours of medical residents.

25 Jun 2010

ACGME task force presents draft standards that revise requirements for better supervision, duty hours

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education task force charged with reassessing resident training program standards today presented a comprehensive set of draft standards that revise requirements for supervision and duty hours to better match residents' levels of experience and emerging competencies, advancing both graduate medical education and quality patient care in the nation's teaching hospitals.

24 Jun 2010

Patel had the patient’s best interests in mind: Defense says

The manslaughter trial against the Bundaberg based surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel that has been going on for 13 weeks now, is in its final phases now. In Dr. Patel’s defense barrister, Michael Byrne QC completed his final address to the jury in the Queensland Supreme Court.

21 Jun 2010

Florida Advisory Council on Radiation Protection endorses ASTRO's Target Safely patient protection plan

Through a unanimous decision, the Florida Advisory Council on Radiation Protection has endorsed Target Safely, the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO) patient protection plan.

16 Jun 2010

UIC receives $3M grant to evaluate comprehensive process for responding to patient harm events

The University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Patient Safety Excellence has received a $3 million grant to evaluate its comprehensive process for responding to patient harm events at nine other Chicago area hospitals.

16 Jun 2010

“Devastating” evidence against Dr. Jayant Patel

Dr. Jayant Patel, 60, is pleading not guilty to the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, Gerry Kemps and James Phillips and grievous bodily harm to Ian Vowles during his time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005. In new developments the Brisbane Supreme Court heard many medical specialists give evidence against Patel’s decision to operate on Mr. Phillips in May 2003 who later died.

15 Jun 2010

Health reform continue to dominate campaigns

After voting "no" on the health reform bill earlier this year, Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., has gotten significantly less support from colleagues than he did in previous re-election bids, The Hill reports. "Only five lawmakers ... have given money from their personal campaign funds to Barrow in the 2010 cycle. Five other elected Dems gave money to Barrow through their leadership political action committees."

14 Jun 2010

U.S. healthcare industry can eliminate $3.6 trillion in healthcare waste over next 10 years: White paper

The U.S. healthcare industry can eliminate $3.6 trillion in healthcare waste over the next 10 years by addressing a series of operational inefficiencies, according to a white paper published today by Thomson Reuters.