The Society of Actuaries (SOA) issued a report on medical errors in the United States, in 2008. Get ready for a headache…
2,500 —- the number of avoidable deaths due to medical errors
1.5 million —- the number of injuries due to medical error
6.3 million —- the number of measurable medical injuries
10 million —- the number of days missed from work due to medical errors
19.5 billion (yes, billion with a “B”) —- the number of dollars siphoned from the U.S. economy due to measurable medical errors
“We used a conservative methodology and still found 1.5 million measureable medical errors occurred in 2008,” says Jonathan Shreve, FSA, MAAA, consulting actuary for Milliman and co-author of the report. “This number includes only the errors that we could identify through claims data, so the total economic impact of medical errors is in fact greater than what we have reported.” [from SOA; italics added by blogger]
This information is important for everyone, but especially for residents of nursing homes and their families. It highlights the need to monitor everything that happens in a medical setting. Review medical plans…ask for copies of medical records…look at prescription orders for names and dosages of medications…check prescription bottle labels to make sure that the right drug is dispensed to the right person.
If you believe that you or someone you love may have been injured by a medical error, and you wonder what your legal options are, please contact one of the HensonFuerst team at 1-800-4LAW-MED. You can also visit our website at https://www.hensonfuerst.com. If you have questions, HensonFuerst has answers.