Hospital errors encompass preventable adverse events occurring during medical care, significantly impacting patient safety and health outcomes. This critical...
A hospital error, or medical error, is a preventable adverse event during healthcare delivery that can harm a patient. This includes mistakes in diagnosis, treatment, medication, surgery, or system failures that lead to patient injury or adverse outcomes.
Common types include medication errors (wrong drug, dose), surgical errors (wrong site, retained objects), diagnostic errors (misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis), healthcare-associated infections, and communication failures among medical staff.
Consequences can range from minor discomfort, extended hospital stays, and additional medical procedures to severe injury, permanent disability, emotional distress, increased medical costs, or, in tragic cases, death.
Patients can advocate for themselves by asking questions, understanding their treatment plan, keeping a medication list, having a trusted advocate present, and ensuring clear, consistent communication with their healthcare team.