New guidelines have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine encouraging doctors to talk to colleagues directly when they observe an error in medical treatment. The Journal also set a standard for when and how to disclose such mistakes to patients.<\/p>\n
It is estimated that medical errors kill 440,000 people each year in U.S. hospitals, making it the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. Mistakes like misdiagnosis and errors in medication are everyday occurrences. <\/p>\n
Addressing the problem has been difficult, in part because of a health care culture in which doctors do not admit their mistakes \u2014 sometimes because they fear it will be used against them in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Additionally, doctors often fail to report or correct their colleagues’ mistakes. The lack of communication when something goes wrong is a major issue for patient safety.<\/p>\n
The new guidelines acknowledge that patients have the (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New guidelines have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine encouraging doctors to talk to colleagues directly when they observe an error in medical treatment. The Journal also set a standard for when and how to disclose such…<\/span><\/p>\n