Profession
N.J. preventable error report documents 400 serious errors
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 13, 2006
New Jersey hospitals reported nearly 400 serious preventable adverse events in 2005, according to the state Dept. of Health and Senior Services' first annual report released last month. Medical errors resulted in 57 hospital patients' deaths in 2005, according to the report. The most common preventable adverse events were falls and pressure ulcers, together accounting for 54% of the incidents reported. Surgical errors accounted for 17%. Miscommunications among health professionals were cited in more than 60% of cases.
The agency is writing rules to expand mandatory reporting to specialty hospitals, ambulatory care centers, home health care and hospices and long-term care and assisted-living facilities. The agency also will require reporting on errors involving reprocessed single-use medical devices to determine whether they pose any additional risk.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/11/13/prbf1113.htm.
