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Research published this month in the Archives of Surgery state that surgical errors at VA (Veterans Affairs) medical centers have been decreasing. Researchers are happy with the results, but are also mindful that the study bears certain lessons to further decrease errors.
Some reasons given for the decline in surgical errors included a "greater emphasis on safety, as well as improved training and communication," such as a pre-operation checklist and a post-operation debriefing.
On the other hand, out of 204 root causes of error, researchers found the most predominant was the non-standardization of clinical processes.
The study surveyed a national database of VA centers, sifting through mistakes that occurred between 2006 and 2009.
Half of surgical mistakes occurred in the operating room, although their severity had generally decreased. Adverse events -- events that often lead to errors -- fell from 3.21 per month to 2.4 per month. "Highest harm" adverse events decreased by 14% annually. Still, close calls increased from 1.97 per month to 3.24 per month. There also was a notable discrepancy between some VA facilities when it came to wrong-body part surgery. Some locations perpetrated an average 0.09 wrong-body part surgeries per 10,000 patients. Others held an average of 4.5. The difference is 45-fold, and speaks to the difference in safety procedures between sister facilities.
As a practicing medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury attorney in New York, I deal with medical errors like these every day. If you would like more information about how medical malpractice and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website http://www.oginski-law.com. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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