Greedy Trial Lawyer
Pentagon Needs To Stop The Killing Due To Preventable Medical Errors
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The Pentagon is faced with one problem which parallels what is going on in civilian life- the devastating impact of preventable medical errors. Stars & Stripes tells the story.
Military takes closer look at preventing medical error
Six years ago, the Pentagon's budget called for a new office within the military dedicated to tracking, correcting and preventing medical errors that jeopardize patient safety.The timing in creating the Patient Safety Program was no accident, according to military health officials.
In the previous year, nationwide surveys showed that 70 percent of patients didn't trust their health care providers, according to the Pentagon's Center for Education and Research in Patient Safety.
Another study estimated at least 46,000 people died each year from medical errors, according to Howard S. Steed, deputy director of the center. "That's every year," he stressed Thursday during a break at a patient safety conference at the Officers Club on Yokosuka Naval Base.
In a hospital setting, a nurse or aide questioning a doctor can prove challenging. In the military, rank is added to that imbalance, center staff said. One of the major goals in reporting and preventing medical mistakes is encouraging lower-ranking servicemembers to question their superiors when a patient's well-being is at stake.
The thought that fear of the military's chain of command could be interfering with the obligation of every health care provider to assure the best treatment for each patient is frightening.
I would also suggest another major goal - encouraging the superiors to order changes in practices and conduct which are causing the most common medical errors. If you can order men into battle you should be able to order them to prevent common medical errors or face consequences.
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