Medical Errors Much Too Common

Medical errors may occur ten times more often than experts have estimated. That’s because measuring hospital mistakes is difficult. Researchers have relied on voluntary reports from health care providers who recognize their errors and are willing to make them public. They have also utilized computerized reviews of discharge codes.
A new technique known as the Global Trigger Tool involves direct review of patient records to detect signals of problems. In this study, roughly 800 patient records were reviewed. The Global Trigger Tool identified more than 350 medical mistakes. The voluntary reporting system only uncovered 4 and the computerized system detected 35.
Overall one-third of the patients in the study experienced an adverse event. That was ten times more than previous studies have shown. Although voluntary reporting is the primary method for detecting medical mistakes, this research shows that that approach vastly underestimates the scope of the problem. The investigators conclude, “Hospitals that use such methods alone to measure their overall performance on patient safety may be seriously misjudging actual performance.”
[Health Affairs, April, 2011]