The statistics are frightening. Approximately 400,000 hospitalized patients in the United States experience some type of preventable harm each year. One-quarter die from these errors. And medical errors cost roughly $20 billion a year. The numbers are higher worldwide.
It makes preventable harm in health care both a leading cause of death and health expenditures in the U.S.
This week is Patient Safety Awareness Week. Patient safety issues are among the top 10 causes of death and disability globally.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 2.5 million deaths are linked to unsafe care in hospitals every year.
In 2019, it found one in 10 patients in high-income countries suffer harm resulting from poor safety in the health care system.
The most common issues include misdiagnosis, wrong prescriptions and drug misuse. Poor surgery methods and after-care procedures can also lead to complications.
Roughly 10% of hospitalized patients contract a health care-related infection.
The WHO says 80% of patient harm is preventable.
There are a few things you can do to protect yourself better, including keeping your hands clean. Regular hand cleaning helps remove germs and keep them from spreading.
Only use antibiotics if your provider says you need them. If you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, you could expose yourself to unnecessary side effects.
Also, watch for signs of infection and complications, like sepsis.
Finally, make sure you are up to date on all vaccines.