New Reporting System Seeks To Reduce Medical Mistakes

A new medical reporting system hopes to improve patient safety and reduce medical mistakes. The proposed system would make it easier for consumers to report problems, and thus make the government aware of potential health risks, defective devices, medication side effects, and other dangers to patients throughout the United States.

The Obama administration proposed the new system in response to widespread malpractice, defective drugs, and other health problems facing consumers today. Current systems, including the FDA’s Safety Watch, are not user-friendly, but the new method would be designed for easy reporting. It would be available to patients to report instances of medical malpractice or hospital negligence in New York and all other states.

New system to supplement current medical error reporting

The new system would not replace current reporting methods, but would rather supplement them. According to Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, the director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “patient reports could complement and enhance reports from providers and thus produce a more complete and accurate understanding of the prevalence and characteristics” of medical mistakes. Researchers from the RAND Corporation and the ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization with four decades of research into medical errors, would analyze patient reports.

Pinpoint the causes of medical mistakes

To file a complaint, consumers are required to complete a questionnaire. They are asked what happened, including the when and where. Other requested details delve into what type of harm, if any, occurred. To spotlight reasons for medical mistakes, the survey lists the following choices:

  • “A doctor, nurse or other health care provider did not communicate well with the patient or the patient’s family.”
  • “A health care provider didn’t respect the patient’s race, language or culture.”
  • “A health care provider didn’t seem to care about the patient.”
  • “A health care provider was too busy.”
  • “A health care provider didn’t spend enough time with the patient.”
  • “Health care providers failed to work together.”
  • “Health care providers were not aware of care received someplace else.”

Report hospital negligence in New York

If the medical reporting project is approved by federal officials, information collection is slated to being in May 2013. Questionnaires would be made available to patients at hospitals, medical clinics, and doctor’s offices, and pharmacies would stock informational flyers.

This information would also be mailed to patient homes, and insurance companies would help distribute the information. Reporting would be completely confidential and voluntary.Federal attention to the growing problem of medical errors is heartening, but even the best reporting system won’t eliminate all mistakes.

New York personal injury lawyer

If you or someone you love has been the victim of medical malpractice or hospital negligence in New York, you are not alone. You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s mistake – especially if that someone has sworn to do no harm.

The New York personal injury lawyer team at The Sander’s Firm has decades of experience in personal injury litigation, and we understand your situation. Contact us today for your free consultation. Call toll-free: 1.800 FAIR PLAY (800.324.7752).