medical errors

Medical Errors Are No. 3 Cause Of U.S Deaths, Researchers Say

7:48pm May 03, 2016

If not for flawed classification of deaths, medical mistakes would be the third leading cause of U.S. deaths, Johns Hopkins researchers say. They're calling on the CDC to track deaths from errors.

Employees at all Lowe's home improvement stores, including this one in South San Francisco, Calif., are eligible to have certain surgeries paid for by the company at selected hospitals.

Some Firms Save Money By Offering Employees Free Surgery

5:39pm April 20, 2016

by Michael Tomsic

The idea is this: Negotiate a flat price with a few hospitals to cover surgery, physical therapy and certain other treatments. Companies save money and hospitals gain patients.

Queue Listen Now

Study Suggests Surgical Residents Can Safely Work Longer Shifts

10:02pm February 02, 2016

by Jordan Rau

Researchers tested whether loosening restrictions on the work schedules of doctors in training would lead to more harm to patients.

Queue Listen Now

Errors in diagnosis, such as inaccuracies or delays in making the information available, account for an estimated 10 percent of patient deaths, a blue-ribbon report says.

Health & Safety

Report: Errors In Diagnosis Are Common And Will Take Teamwork To Fix

8:03pm September 22, 2015

by Julie Appleby

Mistakes in diagnosis are a factor in 10 percent of patient deaths, the Institute of Medicine says. Better training, computer systems and coordination of care are needed to curb the problem.

Waiting To Pick Your Baby's Name Raises The Risk For Medical Mistakes

5:32pm July 14, 2015

by Katherine Hobson

If parents don't have a name teed up, hospitals often give babies temporary ones, like Babygirl. But those generic names can be dangerously confusing, especially in the neonatal intensive care unit.

A program based at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore offers a two-day series of assessments for older surgeons, evaluating "physical and cognitive" function.

When Should Surgeons Stop Operating?

11:44am June 19, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

A quarter of U.S. physicians are older than 65, and there are no national guidelines for assessing late-career skills. Some say the lack of oversight, especially for surgeons, is cause for concern.

Health & Safety

Malpractice Changes In Massachusetts Offer Injured Patients New Options

12:17pm January 20, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Hospitals in the state are among the leaders in developing alternatives to medical liability litigation. A recently enacted law helps consumers who want to challenge hospitals and doctors.

NYU Langone Medical Center is one of the teaching hospitals being penalized by Medicare for its rate of medical errors.

Health & Safety

Teaching Hospitals Hit Hardest By Medicare Fines For Patient Safety

2:18pm December 19, 2014

by Jordan Rau

Medicare will cut payments to hospitals with high rates of patient infections and injuries. Half of the nation's academic medical centers will be docked for making too many medical mistakes.

Health & Safety

Patient Safety Journal Finds Violations, Tightens Standards After Scandal

11:09am November 26, 2014

by Marshall Allen

Kickback allegations against its former editor prompted the Journal of Patient Safety to review his writings and adopt new rules for disclosing commercial conflicts of interest.

The 2 Things That Rarely Happen After A Medical Mistake

7:50am November 24, 2014

When patients are harmed by a medical error, they rarely are told about it or given an apology, according to a study based on ProPublica's Patient Harm Questionnaire.