Hospital Mistakes
The federal government released a report this week regarding the costs of medical malpractice as it relates to extra care after mistakes are made in hospitals. From ABC.com:
The records indicated that one of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of surgery died because of a preventable error and one-third of the deaths occurred after the patient was discharged.
A patient who developed acute respiratory failure after surgery cost insurers $28,218, or 52 percent extra, while an infection cost $19,480 or 48 percent more, agency researchers William Encinosa and Fred Hellinger found.
Errors related to nursing care, such as pressure ulcers and hip fractures, added $12,196 to the average bill, they found.
"Eliminating medical errors and their after effects must continue to be top priority for our health care system," AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy said in a statement.