There was a report back in 1999 by the Institute of Medicine that said an estimated 98,000 people were dying every year due to medical mistakes. Today estimates are that it's up to around 200,000 people every year which makes medical mistakes one of our leading causes of death. This from a profession that claims its highest oath to be Do No Harm.
Why the growth is medical mistakes? Probably because of the dramatic increase in the amount of medicine being practiced every year. Since 1996 the number of MRIs has quadrupled and the number of doctor visits resulting in at least FIVE drugs being prescribed has tripled. Defensive medicine carries risks with every test or procedure ordered, a fact most doctors forget.
There are lots of hospitals and doctors doing some great things to reduce these risks but the fact of the matter is more people are still dying and America's cost of health care continues to grow. Something has to change.
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