Organizational Responsibility and Current Health Care Issues
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Organizational Responsibility and Current Health Care Issues
HCS/545 Health Law and Ethics
May 30, 2011
Dr. Ruth Bundy
Organizational Responsibility and Current Health Care Issues
Health care organizations are facing many issues today. These issues have a negative impact on the countries health care system. One example of the major issues they are facing is medical errors. Medical Error can be defined as a “preventable adverse effect of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of disease, injury, syndrome, behavior, infection or other ailment” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex, 2011). Medical Errors are rising as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Patient safety is a concern of growing importance that affects both patients and health care providers. This is also financially draining. The Institute of Medicine estimates that medical errors cost the Nation nearly $37.6 billion each year and that $17 billion of those costs are due to preventable errors (Harrington, 2005). This can be caused by both human and system errors. This is a major issue because patients are apprehensive about their lives and safety in the hands of health care providers.
Medical Errors became prominent in 1999, when the Institute of Medicine published a report based on studies conducted in 1984 and 1992 that concluded 44,000 to 98,000 patients die every year in hospitals due to medical error (Harrington, 2005). After the report was published the Institute of Medicine mandated that all medical errors be reported. In addition, the Institute of Medicine formed a set of recommendations to reduce errors. They emphasized that the key to reducing medical errors is to focus on improving the systems of delivering care and not to blame individuals (Harrington, 2005). It is the responsibility of the hospital to report any errors and have doctors, nurses and other...
HCS/545 Health Law and Ethics
May 30, 2011
Dr. Ruth Bundy
Organizational Responsibility and Current Health Care Issues
Health care organizations are facing many issues today. These issues have a negative impact on the countries health care system. One example of the major issues they are facing is medical errors. Medical Error can be defined as a “preventable adverse effect of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of disease, injury, syndrome, behavior, infection or other ailment” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex, 2011). Medical Errors are rising as one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Patient safety is a concern of growing importance that affects both patients and health care providers. This is also financially draining. The Institute of Medicine estimates that medical errors cost the Nation nearly $37.6 billion each year and that $17 billion of those costs are due to preventable errors (Harrington, 2005). This can be caused by both human and system errors. This is a major issue because patients are apprehensive about their lives and safety in the hands of health care providers.
Medical Errors became prominent in 1999, when the Institute of Medicine published a report based on studies conducted in 1984 and 1992 that concluded 44,000 to 98,000 patients die every year in hospitals due to medical error (Harrington, 2005). After the report was published the Institute of Medicine mandated that all medical errors be reported. In addition, the Institute of Medicine formed a set of recommendations to reduce errors. They emphasized that the key to reducing medical errors is to focus on improving the systems of delivering care and not to blame individuals (Harrington, 2005). It is the responsibility of the hospital to report any errors and have doctors, nurses and other...