Why patient safety needs to be prioritized — 5 things to know

The United States does not have a formal system in place for tracking cases in which patients are injured or killed due to poor healthcare practices. A recent investigation concluded the United states needs a regulatory agency to monitor patient safety and enforce rules to protect patient in all healthcare facilities, according to care2.

Here are five notes:

1. Preventable patient harm is shockingly one of the leading causes of death in America. This includes medical malpractice such as missed or delayed diagnoses, incorrect treatments and surgical errors.

2. Patients also face medical discrimination, particularly black women. Black women are at a disproportionate risk of death or complications from breast cancer due to racist prejudices in the healthcare community.  For example, black women are less likely than white woman to get breast cancer, but die at a higher rate due to reduced access to screening and treatment. Additionally, individuals of color with chronic pain conditions are more likely to be accused of drug-seeking behavior and denied treatment.

http://www.care2.com/causes/racism-in-health-care-hurts-everyone-but-especially-black-women.html

3. Hospitals are not mandated to report such injuries and deaths, and there is not a central recordkeeping for statistics on medical discrimination.

4. Malpractice suits and related costs are escalating rapidly with an estimated cost of approximately $50 billion each year. If medical issues were tracked properly, the medical field could minimize malpractice lawsuits and would be able to better protect patients.

5. Many organizations including the National Patient Safety Foundation and The Joint Commission, have strongly advocated for better transparency to allow customers the opportunity to make the best decisions about healthcare facilities and providers.

More articles on quality & infection control:
Office of the National Coordinator making Health IT safer: 5 things to know
Threat of West Nile in New York City: 5 facts to note
Cause for concern: 10 notes on the measles outbreak

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