Medical error rate high, solutions needed

Medical errors are the third-largest cause of death in the United States, behind cancer and heart disease, one study says.

Martin Markary, a Johns Hopkins University professor and surgeon, and colleagues penned a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after conducting a study on deaths caused by medical errors.

They urged the CDC to “change the way it collects our country’s national vital health statistics each year” so it can include deaths due to medical error.

The study defines medical error as “an unintended act (either of omission or commission) or one that does not achieve its intended outcome, the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended (an error of execution), the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (an error of planning), or a deviation from the process of care that may or may not cause harm to the patient.”

An estimated 251,000 deaths a year are caused by medical errors, but the study indicates that this number is understated, because of a lack of outpatient information.

It is commendable to have a quantitative and transparent approach to track these startling numbers, but actionable solutions should be implemented to find and reduce the causes of medical errors.

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Medical error rate high, solutions needed."