Wrong-Site Surgery Estimated to Occur 40 Times Per Week

Since the Joint Commission rolled out its universal protocol in 2004 to prevent wrong-site surgeries in the operating room, it has estimated that wrong-site surgeries occur 40 times a week in U.S. hospitals and clinics based on state data, according to a Kaiser Health News report.

Coined as "never events" because of their ability to be prevented, 93 cases of wrong-site surgeries were actually reported to the Joint Commission last year, up from 49 reported cases in 2004, the report said.

The report also noted that these results come at a time when the federal government launched its Partnership for Patients program, which aims to reduce patient complications and improve patient-centered care.

Read the Kaiser Health News report on wrong-site surgery in the operating room.

Related Articles on Wrong-Site Surgery:
Study: Wrong-Site and Wrong-Patient Procedures Continue
Anesthesiologists Increasingly Responsible for Wrong-Site Procedures
CMS Takes No Action Against Ohio Hospital That Performed Wrong-Site Surgery

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