A recent study from Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers indicates that the third leading cause of death in the U.S. is medical mistakes. An estimated 250,000 people die each year from medical errors, ranking it only after cancer and heart disease which each take approximately 600,000 lives each.
Medical Mistakes Not Recorded in CDC Reporting
Exact statistics of the number of lives taken by medical errors is unknown, due in part to the coding system to record death certificate data in use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under this current system, diagnostic mistakes, surgical complications, miscommunications, medication errors and bad judgment cannot be captured.
As a result, the CDCs mortality stats only reflect the “underlying cause of death,” meaning the condition that originally led the patient to seek treatment. So even if medical mistakes are listed on a death certificate, those errors won’t be included in the published report totals. Only the underlying, original condition, such as cancer or heart disease, is tallied, even when it did not directly cause the death.
The authors of the study state that this gap in reporting the full extent of fatal medical mistakes contributes to lack of research funding and an absence of public awareness. They urged the addition of a field on death certificates that asks specifically if it was a preventable medical care complication contributed. This would make it possible for the CDC to include medical errors in its yearly reporting of leading causes of death.
The study’s authors also state that “while no method of investigating and documenting preventable harm is perfect, some form of data collection of death due to medical error is needed to address the problem.”
Personal Injury Lawyer with Medical Error Experience
If you or a loved one have been affected by a medical error that resulted in serious injury or death, don’t try to handle it on your own. For a successful trial outcome and a fair settlement, you need personal injury lawyer who will bring experience, skill and personal attention to your case. The Law Office of Gloria Seidule has over 25 years medical negligence and malpractice law in Stuart, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce, FL, and we can help you seek the financial restitution you deserve.
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