Hospital Malpractice

Between 2003 and 2005, the number of "patient safety incidents" increased by three percent in U.S. hospitals. From the available data, the likelihood of becoming a victim of hospital malpractice is a function of where one seeks treatment. A report provided by the Health Grades Patient Safety in American Hospitals study indicates a wide gap exists between the nation's best and worst hospitals. According to the data collected, the nation's top hospitals have a 40 percent lower error incident rate than the poorest performing hospitals.

The study sponsored by HealthGrades - an independent health care ratings company - reviewed over 40 million Medicare hospitalization records from nearly 5,000 hospitals between 2003 and 2005.

Results of the Study

According to the study, 1.16 million patient safety incidents occurred among Medicare patients studied between 2003 and 2005. When the number of incidents is divided by the number of Medicare patients treated during this time, the incident rate equals 2.86 percent. During this time, the study indicated 247,662 possibly preventable deaths occurred in US hospitals. Comparatively speaking, this means Medicare patients exposed to one or more safety incidents had a 25 percent chance of dying as a result. Estimates regarding the costs of these safety incidents have been placed at $8.6 billion from 2003 to 2005.

Rates of Patient-Safety Incident Occurrence

In order to extract a better understanding of the problem, 16 different types of patient-safety incidents were reviewed. During this 3 year period, the rate of occurrence for ten types of incidents increased by an average of nearly 12 percent. The most significant increases involved post-operative sepsis (almost 34.3 percent), post-operative respiratory failure (18.7 percent), and various infections due related to particular kinds of medical treatment (roughly 12.2 percent).

Setting the Standard

When one applies the performance of top-rated hospitals to others in the study, had these other hospitals performed as well 206,286 patient safety incidents and 34,393 Medicare patient deaths could have been prevented. This would have resulted in a savings of about $1.7 billion.

Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones

In order to ensure you or your loved ones don't become a statistic, the following suggestions should be considered before you enter a hospital:

• If you need surgery, choose a hospital that has performed a large number of similar procedures. Studies indicate a higher success rate for hospitals that have performed a significant number of specific kinds of surgery.
• While recovering in a hospital, ask health care workers who come into direct contact with you to wash their hands.
• Before you are discharged, ask your doctor to provide a treatment regimen for you to use at home. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of any drugs you are required to take. Additionally, ask your doctor when you can resume normal activities - trying to "get back in the swing of things" before you're ready can cause serious complications and problems.

Contact Chalat Hatten & Koupal PC Today

If you have been injured due to hospital errors or malpractice, contact personal injury attorneys at Chalat Hatten & Koupal PC today and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.