According to a study conducted by John Hopkins Medicine, medical errors should be the third leading cause of fatalities in the United States. Additionally, the study found that vital statistics remain undercover causing this issue to go unnoticed by the public.
As a result, the authors of the study suggested that changes be made to death certificates in order to classify deadly lapses in care. They suggested such a solution by sending an open letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asking that they add medical errors to the annual list, which reports the top causes of fatality.
By conducting prior research, the John Hopkins Medicine study estimates that nearly 250,000 American individuals sustain fatal injuries due to medical errors every year. If the list of leading causes of death in the U.S. was accurate, medical errors would be ranked third, just under heart disease and cancer, which accounted for roughly 600,000 fatalities in 2014. While medical errors do account for many lives every year, there is no system that tracks the types of medical errors. As of now, researchers believe there is a wide range of deadly errors that occur in medical facilities, such as:
- Miscommunication between medical staff
- Diagnostic errors
- Poor judgment during treatment/surgery
Authors of the John Hopkins study state that failure to capture the extent of the impacts of medical errors results in a greater failure to invest in research and a lack of attention from the public. The authors believe that by adding these types of questions to death certificates, medical experts and researchers can address these serious problems. The National Patient Safety Foundation’s president agrees, stating that tracking such statistics can improve public recognition and funding to address the problems.
Have You Been Harmed by a Medical Professional? Call Our Team.
If someone you love sustained fatal injuries as a result of a medical procedure and you believe the medical professional should be held liable for your loss, get in touch with a Washington DC medical malpractice lawyer from The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson M.D., J.D. & Associates right away. Our team can examine your case and determine which legal strategies can help you obtain compensation for your losses, emotional damages, and other expenses you may face as a result. Because our team has a distinctive medical background, we understand this practice area better than most. Do not wait to get the representation you need. Call us today!
To discuss your case with a Washington DC medical malpractice attorney, call The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson M.D., J.D. & Associates, or fill out a free consultation right away!
Dr. Michael M. Wilson is an attorney and a physician who earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his legal and medical degrees from Georgetown University. He has focused in the area of medical malpractice for more than three decades and secured more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients throughout the country. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is listed in America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.
