Here are five things to know:
1. Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted a study that found medical errors were the third ranked cause of death in the United States. The study estimated medical mistakes contributed to 251,000 American deaths each year, after heart disease and cancer.
2. Lead study researcher Marty A. Makary, MD, states requiring physicians to report on death certificates whether preventable errors contributed to a patient’s death would improve the national data on errors.
3. More than half of all U.S. states already require similar reporting, except for Nebraska and Iowa.
4. Medical errors that often compromise patient safety include poor staff communication, improperly coded medical records and medication errors.
5. A 2010 Harvard University study found malpractice costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $55 billion a year.
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