Anonymous doc survey finds many admit to major errors

[Guest guest]

Another way of looking at this is: It is acceptable to

have a system that does not hold those responsible and

covers up the damage to patients (for about 100 years

now)if you are part of the medical establishment, but

don't say that nontoxic foods or nutrients can heal or

we will have to put you in jail to protect the health

of consumers. Huh? And we as a society accept this.

Someone sure has done a number on our thought

processes. F.

 

 

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=38346

 

Anonymous doc survey finds many admit to major errors

By Kay Lazar

Tuesday, August 3, 2004

 

Nearly half of ear, nose and throat specialists

surveyed nationally say a medical error occurred in

their practice in the past six months, with more than

40 percent of those mistakes causing major injury or

death.

``They happened to very conscientious and

competent people,'' said Dr. David Roberson, an

otolaryngologist at Children's Hospital Boston and

co-author of the new study in the journal

Laryngoscope.

Hoping to learn from others' mistakes, Roberson's

team surveyed 2,500 otolaryngologists last fall and

guaranteed them anonymity. Of the 466 responses, 210

reported a medical error. Some 78 of the mistakes

caused major harm and nine were fatal.

Younger doctors, under 50 years old, were more

likely to report mistakes than older ones. But study

authors said it was unclear whether senior doctors

just make fewer mistakes or whether younger physicians

are more aware and willing to report them.

``There is a phenomenal opportunity to improve

health care in America through the study of errors,''

Roberson said.

But first doctors have to recognize a mistake

when it happens, the authors said.

Some 55 percent of those surveyed said they

hadn't encountered one in the previous six months - a

low rate that suggests many aren't trained to spot

mistakes, the authors said.

``It is likely that surgeons need to be similarly

educated to see small errors as learning

opportunities, rather than wait for a patient injury

to address a problem,'' they wrote.

A landmark Institute of Medicine report in 2000

estimated that a million patients were injured

annually and 98,000 die because of medical errors.