Medical Errors News and Research

RSS

When it comes to disclosing medical errors to patients, there is a gap between physicians' attitudes and their real-world experiences

From a survey of faculty physicians, resident physicians and medical students, researchers found that while nearly all respondents indicated that they would disclose a hypothetical error, less than half reported having disclosed an actual minor or major medical error.

11 May 2007

WHO 9 point plan will protect patients from medical errors

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) health care errors affect one in every 10 patients around the world.

3 May 2007

Military to revamp hospitals

In a memo issued in January, the U.S. Department of Defense instructed design teams to apply evidence-based design principles for all new military medical construction projects.

24 Apr 2007

Lake Hospital System breaks ground for $150 million state-of-the-art health care facility

Lake Hospital System has broken ground on a new digital hospital that will be built in Concord Township.

17 Apr 2007

Patient safety incidents at the nation's hospitals rose three percent

Patient safety incidents at the nation's hospitals rose three percent over the years 2003 to 2005, but the nation's top-performing hospitals had a 40 percent lower rate of medical errors when compared with the poorest-performing hospitals, according to the largest annual study of patient-safety issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

2 Apr 2007

Performing x-rays using iodine dye increases risk for kidney failure

Performing x-rays using iodine dye places patients with impaired kidney function at increased risk for kidney failure. Known as Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (ne-FROPP-a- thee) or ''CIN,'' this complication is the third most common cause of hospital-acquired kidney failure in the United States and Europe, accounting for 10-12 percent of all such cases.

1 Apr 2007

Intel, Motion Computing develop tablet computer to reduce medical errors

California-based Intel and Texas-based Motion Computing on Tuesday unveiled a jointly developed tablet computer designed to help health care workers update medical records as they care for patients, Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times reports.

21 Feb 2007

Health officials announce physician quiz campaign to help reduce medical errors

HHS and other health officials on Monday announced a new campaign designed to limit surgical complications by encouraging patients to quiz their doctors about medical procedures, CQ HealthBeat reports.

24 Oct 2006

Long hours cause of medical errors among residents

More than 80% of first-year medical residents work more hours than allowed by national accreditation rules, according to two studies published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Washington Post reports (Washington Post, 9/6).

6 Sep 2006

Bush Administration, Republicans 'refuse' to acknowledge success of VA Health System

The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system "is a stunning success -- but the [Bush] administration and the Republicans in Congress refuse to build on that success because it doesn't reflect their conservative agenda," columnist Paul Krugman writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

5 Sep 2006

'Culture of medicine,' not fear of malpractice, prompts physicians to withhold information about Medical errors from patients

Physicians often fail to inform patients about medical errors because of the "culture of medicine," rather than because of concerns about malpractice lawsuits, according to a study published on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Seattle Times reports.

20 Aug 2006

FDA investigates use of identifier system for medical devices

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking information on how the use of a unique identifier system for medical devices may reduce medical errors, facilitate device recalls and improve medical device adverse event reporting.

9 Aug 2006

New framework for understanding physician medical errors

Disclosing medical errors made by physicians is extremely important yet often extremely difficult.

3 Aug 2006

Video games help surgeons hone their skills

According to a new study it is suggested that prior to carrying out surgery, surgeons might benefit from playing video games.

24 May 2006

Claims that medicine is rife with malpractice lawsuits 'overblown'

According to new research, contrary to public perception, people who file lawsuits against doctors accusing them of medical mistakes rarely do so frivolously, and those who do submit trivial claims as a rule receive no payout.

11 May 2006

Online infusion calculator and a computerized drug ordering system reduces medication errors in children

Two new studies from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center show that computerizing ordering of chemotherapy and other types of intravenous drug infusions for children greatly reduces the risk of potentially dangerous medical errors.

8 May 2006

Verbal medical order errors reduced to zero

Hospitals have spent millions of dollars on computerized physician order entry systems to reduce medical errors, but a simple change in the way verbal orders are entered in the system -- so simple that it cost nothing to implement -- has reduced errors to zero, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.

3 May 2006

Study on medication error rates in radiology facilities inaccurate and irresponsible

The ACR works for the day when all medical errors are eliminated and welcomes input from all medical organizations. However, the recent United States Pharmacopeia (USP) study regarding medication error rates in medical imaging facilities is incomplete, inaccurate, may unnecessarily alarm patients, and may cause many patients who require imaging care to mistakenly avoid getting it

18 Jan 2006

Acoustics experts say medical sound pollution is widely recognized, rarely addressed

Announcements blare from overhead speakers. Electronic devices beep. Heating and cooling systems rumble. Employees and visitors speak loudly.

21 Nov 2005

Electronic medical records ideal for clinical trial recruitment

Electronic medical records are touted as a great way to prevent medical errors, but researchers are reporting that this new technology may also be just what the doctor ordered for clinical trial recruitment.

24 Oct 2005