Study: Surgery Patients Still Affected by Medical Errors
A new study has uncovered safety issues with hospital surgeries, revealing that one in five surgical patients experiences a medical error, with more than a third suffering complications.
The research, modeled after a landmark Harvard Medical Practice Study from the 1980s, examined adverse events in hospital settings. The results seemed to indicate that, while healthcare has evolved—with electronic medical records, pre-surgery checklists, and improved education about critical conditions like sepsis—hospitals seem to have not made much progress in patient safety. Researchers did acknowledge, though, that today's medical cases are inherently more complex. Patients are typically sicker, and procedures have become increasingly risky.
The study analyzed data from over 1,000 surgical patients across 11 hospitals in 2018. The research process was extensive, taking 18 months for hospital participation, two years to collect records, and an additional year for nurses to identify potential adverse events. Doctors then spent four months determining which complications were preventable.
Key findings included:
- 38% of patients experienced at least one adverse event
- Approximately half of these events were life-threatening or serious
- 10% experienced a preventable complication or medical mistake
- 20% of complications were definitively preventable
- 60% were potentially preventable
Complications varied by type and risk:
- Surgical procedures were the most common source of complications
- Medication errors ranked second
- Healthcare-associated infections followed closely
- Risk increased with patient age and procedure complexity
- Heart and lung surgeries showed the highest complication rates
- Most incidents occurred outside the operating room
The study emphasizes that medical mistakes are more widespread than hospitals typically recognize. Standard error detection methods often identify only about 5% of cases. Patients can take steps to protect themselves by:
- Knowing their medications and dosages
- Bringing a companion to surgical procedures
- Staying informed and asking questions about their care
Medical errors can result in severe and even life-threatening consequences. Tom Duffy has obtained recoveries and settlements from most of the large teaching hospitals and universities in the Philadelphia area, including one of the top medical malpractice verdicts in Philadelphia in 2024. If you are looking for a top medical malpractice attorney in Pennsylvania, contact us to arrange a time to meet and discuss the details of your situation.