2004-8-24
This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.
Five years ago, researchers estimated the number of deaths each
year from medical mistakes in United States hospitals. The estimate
was between forty-four thousand and ninety-eight thousand, or one in
every two hundred patients.
The study called "To Err Is Human" came from the Institute of
Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences. Some experts
called the estimates too high; others called them too low.
The report called for changes in hospital policies in an effort
to reduce the chance for mistakes. The study called for another
examination later this year to measure progress.
Health care experts say a number of reforms have yet to take
place. But they say hospitals have made improvements. Some involve
easy steps to avoid misunderstandings. If a patient needs an
operation on the left leg, for example, the word "yes" might be
written on that leg. The word "no" might be written on the other
leg. Last month a hospital inspection group ordered that simple
safety measures like these be required before all operations.
Another effort to reduce mistakes involves information sharing
among hospitals to improve the treatment of newborn babies. Each
hospital can search the collected information for the best way to
perform an operation or treat different problems.
The Institute of Medicine report five years ago said most
mistakes are caused by communication failures. These include
mistakes with medicines. New medicines with similar names are part
of the problem. Also, handwritten orders from doctors are often
difficult to read.
There are efforts to increase the use of computers in hospitals
to avoid such mistakes. The goal is make sure patients get the
correct medicines and in the correct amounts. A computer can also
help avoid other problems. For example, it can warn if a medicine
will react dangerously with other drugs taken by the patient.
The flight industry has done a lot of work to reduce mistakes.
This includes training pilots about the importance of teamwork. But
safety experts say teamwork is not the only solution. Efforts are
also made to change systems where misunderstandings and mistakes can
easily happen.
This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Paul
Thompson. This is Gwen Outen.