Bruce F. Vento: “A recent series of articles in my hometown paper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota, highlighted a disturbing…”

“A recent series of articles in my hometown paper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Minnesota, highlighted a disturbing incidence nationwide of patient fatalities and injuries due to hospital errors... The most comprehensive study conducted by Harvard medical researchers found that the hospital mistakes caused the death of one of every 200 patients admitted to hospitals. This provocative study also estimates that 1 million patients are injured by errors during hospital treatment each year. Alarmingly, some experts think official estimates of the medical errors may be understated as some cases go unreported. Most of us are very concerned about this new report. In section 912, part C, in my reading it is intended for the Agency for Health Research and Quality to include in its research a specific report on the number of hospital errors which result in patient injury and death.”