The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) study “To Err is Human” was published over a decade ago with medical malpractice statistics showing that between 44,000 and 98,000 patients are killed in hospitals every year as a result of medical errors, leading up to $29 billion in costs every year.
The study reported errors at different points of care, including the following examples:
- Error or delay in diagnosis;
- Error to act on results of testing or monitoring;
- Error in administering treatment; and
- Error during operation or procedure.
Fast forward 15 years and patient safety issues are still a rising concern in hospitals across the country. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an article summarizing that, “on any given day, approximately one in 25 U.S. patients has at least one infection contracted during the course of their hospital care.”
Results of the conducted surveys pinpointed an estimated 648,000 hospital patients with 721,800 healthcare-associated infections. The most common infections were:
- Pneumonia;
- Surgical-site infections;
- Gastrointestinal infections; and
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
One thing is clear—tort reform and laws that limit the ability of injured patients to pursue medical malpractice claims lead to more medical errors and increased healthcare costs. As noted recently by the Center for Justice & Democracy:
It is now indisputable that “caps” on compensation in medical malpractice cases (so-called “tort reform”) harm not just injured patients and their families. They are also wrecking health care for everyone else. Three new studies by esteemed academics in the field of medical malpractice research confirm for the first time that “caps” lead to more medical errors, higher healthcare costs, and no increase in patient care physicians.
Medical negligence and hospital errors affect thousands of patients every year. If you require legal counsel or seek advice regarding medical neglect in Illinois, contact an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney today. Call the law office of Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. at 312-553-4900 for a free case evaluation.
