March 13, 2006…For a long time, we all have realized that the “care” has been diminishing in healthcare. Still, who isn’t surprised by the latest fear factor: medical error is now the third leading cause of death, just after heart disease and cancer? The New York Times, February 22nd article, entitled Why Doctors So Often Get it Wrong, contained an even more startling fact

With all the tools available to modern medicine – the blood tests and MRIs and endoscopes – you might think that misdiagnosis has become a rare thing. But you would be wrong. Studies of autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. So millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease.

Comparing the healthcare system with the airline industry, the journalist reports, “At the insistence of pilots, who have the ultimate incentive not to mess up, airlines have studied their errors and nearly eliminated crashes. ‘Unlike pilots,’ Dr. Britto said, ‘doctors don’t go down with their planes.’”

Miles J. Varn, M.D., medical director of PinnacleCare, the prestigious healthcare advocacy company, cautions against pointing fingers only at doctors, “Physicians are under tremendous cost constraints, so this is, in large part, blaming one of the system’s victims.” Yet the analogy is helpful in understanding the difference in urgency. No wonder a national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found a majority of Americans were more concerned about their safety in healthcare settings than when flying in an airplane.

What are Medical Errors?

In another national poll, the National Patient Safety Foundation found 42 percent of people surveyed said either they or a family member or friend had experienced a medical error. Of these, 32% said the error had a permanent negative effect on the patient’s health. Notes PinnacleCare’s Dr. Varn, “It is important to hone your radar for potential medical error.”

The Institute of Medicine defines medical errors as two kinds of failures. Either an action did not go as intended (error of execution); or the intended action was not the correct one (error of planning). For example, an error of execution is when a physician meant to write 1 mg when ordering a medication but instead wrote 10 mg; an error of planning is when the doctor selects the wrong drug because of a wrong diagnosis.

Tens of thousands of medical errors occur every day in hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing homes, pharmacies, and home care settings. They include errors both of omission and commission. They result from flaws in the healthcare system or from an individual practitioner’s lack of knowledge or skills. Medical errors can occur at every point in the care process, from misdiagnosis and failed monitoring to treatment performance and inappropriate care. At each stage of treatment, it is essential to be watchful of potential medical missteps and speak up to report your concerns.

Seven Safeguards to Protect Your Family From Medical Errors

Here are seven key safeguards PinnacleCare recommends:

Make sure your family’s medical records are fully up-to-date, accurate and electronically transmissible.
Listen to your small pains and vague worries. These can be clues that your physician or treatment may be on the wrong track.
If you are meeting with a specialist about an important medical issue, bring a trusted friend, family member or professional advocate to listen to the information and review it together afterwards.
Remember, you are the center of your healthcare team. You are entitled to ask and re-ask questions. If you do not fully understand your options, your healthcare decisions will be compromised.
Keep your own records of all the medications you are taking and let your physician know any recent changes. Medication errors are the most common healthcare mistakes.
If you are hospitalized, institute a rotation of frequent visitors. Assign designated visitors to alert your advocate or physician if they notice any subtle or sudden change in your demeanor.
The best possible option, if your family can afford to retain professional healthcare advocacy, is the highly-regarded PinnacleCare Membership. To learn more, visit the company’s web site, www.PinnacleCare.com. Alternatively, through the PinnacleCare web site, you can order the company’s Guide to Getting the Best Healthcare, an easy-to-follow, 40-page primer on healthcare advocacy, complete with helpful, no-cost resources.