Nearly 1 in 5 Americans Have Experienced a Medical Error, Survey Reveals

21% of Americans have experienced a medical error, according to a survey conducted last spring. In addition to those errors experienced personally, 31% of Americans say they know someone whose care they were closely involved with who experienced a medical error.

Almost half of those who perceived that a mistake had occurred reported the errors to medical personnel or staff. Health care providers and facilities accepted responsibility for those errors half the time. Accordingly, the survey respondents who did not report an error said they did not do so because they did not think it would make a difference.

The Americans that participated in the survey identified several reasons for theses medical errors which included lack of attention to detail, providers not listening, poorly trained providers, providers not spending enough time with the patient, patient given too many unnecessary treatments, and providers not knowing about care received elsewhere.

The survey also found that diagnostic errors such as missed diagnoses, incorrect diagnoses, and delayed diagnoses were the most commonly reported type of error. Additionally, the majority of the errors occur in the outpatient setting.

Medical providers must be held accountable for their negligence. If you or someone you know have been injured as a result of a medical error, contact one of the experienced attorneys at Abramson, Brown & Dugan for a free consultation.