{"id":46367,"date":"2016-05-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powerrogers.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/medical-mistakes-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-u-s-new-research-says\/"},"modified":"2022-10-11T13:55:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T18:55:17","slug":"medical-mistakes-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-u-s-new-research-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powerrogers.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/medical-mistakes-now-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-u-s-new-research-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Mistakes Now Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S., New Research Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

After analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year stretch, patient safety experts from Johns Hopkins have calculated that over 250,000 deaths are caused by medical error each year in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently list respiratory disease \u2013 responsible for nearly 150,000 deaths each year \u2013 as the third leading cause of death in the U.S.<\/p>\n

What is Medical Error?<\/h3>\n

The research team defines medical error as, \u201can unintended act (either of omission or commission) or one that does not achieve its intended outcome, the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended (an error of execution), the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (an error of planning), or a deviation from the process of care that may or may not cause harm to the patient.\u201d During their study, the team focused their efforts on identifying preventable lethal events.<\/p>\n

Following the release of their findings, the researchers urged the CDC in an open letter<\/a> to add medical errors to its annual list of the top causes of death in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Why Medical Mistake Deaths are Underreported<\/h3>\n

According to Martin Makary, M.D., M.P.H, professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the CDC doesn\u2019t include medical errors in their list of leading causes of death because there isn\u2019t a recognized standard method to collect that data. \u201cThe medical coding system was designed to maximize billing for physician services, not to collect national health statistics, as it is currently being used,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Makary and the rest of the team at Johns Hopkins is advocating for updated criteria in order to properly account for all causes of death. Currently, the CDC uses an international form that uses the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) billing codes in order to keep track of causes of death.<\/p>\n

According to the research team, the CDC creates its list by using death certificates filled out by coroners, funeral directors, medical examiners, and physicians. The cause of death is assigned an ICD code, and the experts from Johns Hopkins claim that those codes cannot properly account for inadequate skill, poor judgment, communication breakdowns, and diagnostic errors.<\/p>\n

The CDC\u2019s chief of the mortality statistics branch Bob Anderson disputes the claims that their coding is the issue. According to him, the codes accurately capture complications from medical care, and that the CDC\u2019s approach is consistent with international guidelines. Changing how they collect data would create issues when comparing the U.S.\u2019s death statistics to other countries\u2019.<\/p>\n

The researchers examined four studies from 2000 to 2008 that analyzed medical death rate data, including ones by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 Office of the Inspector General, and compared them to hospital admission rates from 2013. Based on the 35+ million hospital admissions from 2013, the researchers extrapolated that over 250,000 deaths were caused by medical error. According to them, that equals to roughly 9.5% of all deaths in the U.S. each year.<\/p>\n

With those numbers, only heart disease \u2013 611,105 reported deaths \u2013 and cancer \u2013 584,881 reported deaths \u2013 rank higher on the CDC\u2019s list of leading causes of death<\/a> in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cTop-ranked causes of death as reported by the CDC inform our country\u2019s research funding and public health priorities,\u201d says Makary. \u201cRight now, cancer and heart disease get a ton of attention, but since medical errors don\u2019t appear on the list, the problem doesn\u2019t get the funding and attention it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas Medical Malpractice & Wrongful Death Attorney<\/h2>\n

If you or a loved one has been affected by medical malpractice<\/a>, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys at Power Rogers have more than 100 years of cumulative experience and are ready to help you in your fight. Contact us through our online form<\/a>, or call us at 312-500-1792<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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