Study Finds Medical Errors to be 3rd Top Cause of Death in the U.S.
A new study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, has found that if medical errors were categorized with diseases, they’d be the third leading cause of death in the United States. The study estimates that 250,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors, which is the third largest number behind, cancer and heart disease.
Medical error is loosely defined as a “preventable adverse effect of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient.” The authors of the BMJ study cite specific types of error, which include “the use of a wrong plan,” “the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended,” and “an unintended act.”
Currently, there is no real way to track deaths cause by medical errors. This study urges the CDC to create a system to track these preventable occurrences.
If you have lost a loved one due to an error in their medical care, contact our experienced medical malpractice attorneys immediately.
