The first large study in a decade to analyze harm from medical care found an average of 25 injuries per 100 admissions, according to a New York Times report.
The study, which some officials cited in the report call a "wake-up call to the patient safety community," revealed that harm to patients is still common and has not decreased from 2002 to 2007, according to the report. Common problems include complications from procedures or drugs followed by hospital-acquired infections. Nearly 18 percent of patients were harmed by medical care, some more than once, with 63.1 percent of those injuries judged as preventable.
The study reviewed the records of 2,341 patients who were admitted to 10 various hospitals in North Carolina, including those in urban and rural locations, large and small in size, and teaching and non-teaching organizations. By screening patient records for 54 items considered "red flags," such as readmission within 30 days or bedsores, researchers found 588 instances in which a patient was harmed by medical care.
Christopher Landrigan, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was the first author of the study. Dr. Landrigan said the results reflect the need for a national mandatory monitoring system.
The full study is available in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Read more about hospital safety:
-13.5% of Medicare Patients Have Adverse Events in Hospital
-12 California Hospitals Fined by Department of Public Health for Safety Violations
The study, which some officials cited in the report call a "wake-up call to the patient safety community," revealed that harm to patients is still common and has not decreased from 2002 to 2007, according to the report. Common problems include complications from procedures or drugs followed by hospital-acquired infections. Nearly 18 percent of patients were harmed by medical care, some more than once, with 63.1 percent of those injuries judged as preventable.
The study reviewed the records of 2,341 patients who were admitted to 10 various hospitals in North Carolina, including those in urban and rural locations, large and small in size, and teaching and non-teaching organizations. By screening patient records for 54 items considered "red flags," such as readmission within 30 days or bedsores, researchers found 588 instances in which a patient was harmed by medical care.
Christopher Landrigan, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was the first author of the study. Dr. Landrigan said the results reflect the need for a national mandatory monitoring system.
The full study is available in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Read more about hospital safety:
-13.5% of Medicare Patients Have Adverse Events in Hospital
-12 California Hospitals Fined by Department of Public Health for Safety Violations