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Health Corner

Work in Partnership With Your Health Professional to Prevent Medical Errors

What are Medical Errors?

The possibility of medical error worries many people in today’s complex health care system. When health care or services have an unexpected and undesired result, it is called an adverse event. An adverse event may be caused by a medical error when something that was planned as a part of medical care doesn’t work out or when the wrong plan was used in the first place. Medical errors can occur anywhere in the health care system: in hospitals, clinics, outpatient surgery centers, health professionals’ offices, nursing homes, pharmacies, and patients’ homes. Error can involve medications, surgery, diagnosis equipment, or lab reports. They can occur during even the most routine tasks, such as when a hospital patient on a salt-free diet is given the wrong meal.

Most errors result from problems created by today’s complex health care system. Errors also occur when health professionals and their patients have problems communicating.

Medical errors are one of the nation’s leading causes of death and injury.  Government agencies, purchasers of group health care, and health professionals are working together to make the United States health care system safer.  Each person needs to work in partnership with their health professional to help prevent medical errors.

Seven Tips to Prevent Medical Errors