Patient Safety Still Lags

Little progress has been made since the 1999 report on medical mistakes entitled To Err Is Human. A study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that there has been no significant improvement in patient safety over the last decade. Researchers analyzed medical records from 10 North Carolina hospitals between January 2002 and December 2007. What they found was disheartening. Despite efforts to improve patient safety outcomes, the data showed there were still serious shortcomings. The investigators found 25 harms per 100 admissions. The scientists conclude that there is still much work to be done to make hospitals safer places for patients.
[New England Journal of Medicine, Nov. 25, 2010]