Doctor Hospital Mistakes Cause More than 250,000 deaths in the U.S. annually
Each year, more than 250,000 deaths in the United States occur as a result of medical error. That makes medical mistakes the third leading cause of death in the country. This was the conclusion of a study published in The BMJ And reported in the online Medical News Today. That does not include medical mistakes by doctors or hospital that result in injury and additional treatment for the patient. Our lawyers frequently get calls from people injured in a Minnesota hospital or clinic or who got the wrong treatment.
Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compile a list of the leading causes of death in the U.S.The CDC looks at the causes of death listed on death certificates. However, medical error is not currently on option on death certificates. Therefore, the CDC cannot track medical malpractice death statistics.
With the aim of addressing this data gap, the authors of the paper analyzed the results of four studies that assessed the rate of medical death in the U.S. between 2000-2008. One of these studies was from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General.
After analyzing the data, the researchers estimated that 251,454 deaths occur as a result of medical error each year.
TRACKING MEDICAL MISTAKES
They point out that the CDC list of the leading causes of death in the U.S. puts heart disease at the top (responsible for 611,105 deaths). Cancer is listed as the second leading cause (548,881 deaths). Next comes chronic respiratory disease with 149,205 deaths. Therefore, the annual rate of medical malpractice deaths of 251,454 estimated in this study suggests medical error is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Some states are undoubtedly better than others, and MN generally has excellent doctors and facilities. However, medical mistakes happen here too.
Based on their results, the authors call for medical errors to be classified as a separate cause of death on medical certificates. This would enable researchers and public health organizations to better understand the scale of the problem. ‘Top-ranked causes of death as reported by the CDC inform our country’s research funding and public health priorities,’ notes Makary. ‘Right now, cancer and heart disease get a ton of attention. But, since medical errors don’t appear on the list, the problem doesn’t get the funding and attention it deserves.’ It is impossible to eliminate human error, but it is possible to better measure the issue to identify ways to reduce medical errors and malpractice.
If you have been injured, or a family member has died, because of negligence or a mistake by a doctor, hospital, or clinic, call us and speak with a lawyer for a free consultation.