Almost 100,000 patients die in the U.S. hospitals every year due to medical errors, and there are certain things you can and should do to help ensure that your loved one is not in that statistic.
The U.S. healthcare system is not a smooth-running machine- it is riddled with errors and lack of safety checks. You must step in as the person most interested in keeping your loved one alive and in good health, and gently and respectfully, but insistently, make certain that he gets the healthcare he needs.
“One in 10 patients admitted to the hospital will suffer an adverse effect as a result of their medical treatment. A reduction in adverse events could happen if patients could be engaged successfully in monitoring their care.” 1
“A true paradox exists in American hospital medicine: although we have more medical knowledge and better technology, there is evidence that inpatient medical care is becoming more disjointed and health care providers are experiencing increasing degrees of disconnection from their patients.”2
Studies, Footnotes and Resources:
- Davis, R.E., M. Koutantiji, and C.A. Vincent. “How Willing Are Patients to Question Healthcare Staff on Issues Related to Quality and Safety of their Healthcare? An Exploratory Study.” Quality and Safety in Healthcare 17 (2008): 90-96.
- Phillips, Robert A., and Julia D. Andriene. Editorial: “Translational Patient Care: A New Model for Inpatient Care in the 21st Century.” Archives of Internal Medicine 167(19) (2007): 2025-2026.