Health Care Errors: A Perspective on the Problem

Abstract

This article examines the report of the Institute of Medicine “To Err Is Human—Building a Safer Health System,” and investigates possible solutions to the problem. Health care errors are addressed as a reflection of system flaws rather than individual provider weaknesses. Response to the report is discussed including specific proposed legislative remedies.

The Need to Address Hospital Politics in Order to Reduce Medication Errors: A Case Study

“…Although these bills were not passed, parts of them are incorporated into the Patient Bill of Rights (S. 1052), which has been moving through the Senate and In addition, the Health Care Financing Administration (since renamed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) planned to launch a pilot project to implement confidential mandatory reporting systems. This effort has yet to take place, however, due to opposition from, among others, the AHA, which has concerns about the adequacy of addressing issues related to public reporting, accountability, creating a culture of safety, and how the list should or should not be used (Berdahl, 2001;Lovern, 2001;Wolfe & Oh, 2000). AHRQ announced awards of up to $2 million to support four to six systems-related best practice projects, and the Department of Defense reported it will focus on implementation of a new computerized medical record, an improved pharmacy database, and adverse event reporting (Joint Healthcare Information Technology Alliance, 2000).…”