LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Surgical Errors Costing $1.5 Billion Annually
Real Impact of Medical Errors Underestimated
According to a new study, potentially preventable medical errors are costing patients and health insurers dearly. One of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of surgery did so because of a preventable error. And one-third of those deaths occurred after the initial hospital discharge. The financial cost is close to $1.5 billion annually.Based on a nationwide sample of more than 161,000 patients age 18 to 64 in employer-based health plans who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2002, the study also showed that nursing care associated with medical errors cost 33 percent more, metabolic problems 32 percent more, and vascular problems including blood clots cost 25 percent more.
The authors of the study conclude that studies that focus only on medical errors incurred during the initial hospital stay may underestimate the financial impact of patient safety events by up to 30 percent.
Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered ill health effects, injury or damages resulting from medical errors, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.Published on Jul-30-08
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READER COMMENTS
Elizabeth Rael
on
On June 28, 2014 he had an ambulance called to pick him up and take him to the hospital emergency room. Tests were ran on him, they did a colonoscopy on July 1, 2014 and found Colon Cancer. They operated on July 3, 2014, to stop the bleeding and to remove the tumor. During the operation the tumor ruptured, my dad developed sepsis. I was not told about any of this, I found out when I got the medical records. They wouldn't even wait for me to get there before doing anything, I got there July 4, 2014 at 1:30 a.m., I am his only child and he wasn't married.
I was there for a few days, I signed papers for my dad to get transfusions/platelets and a DNR then I had to leave to come back to NM to take care of some things before returning to Ks. While I was in NM the Dr. tried to have my dad transferred to Landmark Hospital, I found out from a man that called me, telling me he was at the hospital to pick up my dad and take him to Joplin, Mo where they take care of people on ventilators. The next day the Dr. called me and said my dad was going down hill again and he wanted to know if I wanted him to start treatment again? I told him I would call him back, I needed to speak with my husband. When I called back I spoke with a nurse and told her to let the Dr. know I called and said for them to let my dad go. Because all I could think of was the blood I saw gushing out of his mouth, as fast as they were giving him the transfusions they were coming out.
I think the Dr. was just trying to get rid of my dad before he died by sending him off somewhere else. Then he called me leaving the decision to me about treatment, why didn't he ask me about having my dad transferred? I think he knew my dad was brain dead all of this time but didn't want to be blamed because of what he did or didn't do. I remember the nurse say that my dad didn't have any reaction to light being shined in his eyes, he was probably already gone, but he kept him alive with the ventilator. He never told me that my dad was breathing on his own. He lied in the medical records about my dad, myself and my husband. He never told us anything about my dad dying. When I told him the surgeon didn't think my dad was going to make it, he got upset and told me, we never said that. In the records he says he told us that, he's lying. There needs to be something done about how this Dr. handled my dad and how he lied in the medical records and the hospital allowing him to do so. I'm hoping someone will help me with this, there needs to be some justice for my dad.