Introduction
In the recent past, medical errors have been on a sharp increase whereby cases of medical negligence reported daily in our healthcare system have been on the rise. As a key pillar in the economy, there is need to address various challenges and health care errors for the well-being of our society. In addition, healthcare is growing at a rapid rate as more complex and new developments in technologies emerge that allows care healthcare professions to work remotely. This new technology and medical advancement is a new fertile ground for more errors that are likely to occur. Though many patients have undoubtedly experienced many recoveries due to advancement in technology in their lifetime from simple, to even severe injuries and diseases, so many others have encountered the dark side of healthcare in form nursing errors. As a matter of fact, healthcare errors is US is the fifth leading cause of death (Andel, Davidow, Hollander & Moreno, 2012). This paper will examine medical errors and healthcare challenges in light of Darling and Quaid cases and will make far reaching recommendation on how to reduce these errors as the country strives to attain universal healthcare system.
Challenges in Healthcare
First, hospitals and care centers play a very important role in provision of all manner of health care services to humanity which is complex in nature. Nurses and other health workers advance various prescriptions and provide patients safety as the leading role in provision of care services. Although, there is no one likely to accept health care errors, these pose as real challenge to provision of universal healthcare in our society. Since there is a beehive of activities in hospitals, and human beings are immune to making mistakes that can lead to medical tragedy. According to Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, it indicates that 44,000 to 98,000 cases of health care workers mistakes occurs every year in America and leads to death. Deaths occasioned by these errors exceed the number of deaths of people who die out of AIDS, accidents and breast cancer combined. In this study, it is documented that 70% of the cases that leads to far reaching consequences are simple and avoidable.
Medical errors
In addition, this study report presents both disturbing facts on the prevalence of medical errors in light of the adoption of Obama care policy. The situation is getting worse day by day due to ongoing health care reforms, aging population, ever-changing technology and prevailing economic factors. It is important therefore for all stakeholders first to address the challenges in the healthcare as they try to address in the care system. In light the case of Darling V Charleston Community Memorial Hospital, US Supreme Court made a landmark decision regarding medical errors by awarding the applicant $110,000 as compensation.
Darling and Quaid error cases
The court, in Darling v Charleston Community Memory Hospital gave rise to a new hospital liability theory in healthcare errors. The applicant, Darling petitioned the court after his leg was amputated due to medical negligence and infection mismanagement. After the Supreme Court affirmed the e decision of the Appellate court new dynamics have emerged especially for the care providers. The court affirmed that healthcare professions are entrusted with a sole responsibility of ensuring the sanctity of life is protected at all costs. In the case of Quaid V Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, after the Heparin and Hep-lock overdose, though out of court settlement, again opened the wounds of negligence, errors and manufacturers malpractice. It is evident therefore that indeed medical negligence can be costly and in most cases death becomes imminent (Johnson et al 2014). The frequency of these errors is troubling in the light of present goals pursuit of quality management and patient safety.
Measures to address these challenges
Meanwhile, it is important for all stakeholders to reduce the number of care errors that occurs each year .Some of these errors are necessitated by a system breakdown and as a result the medical intervention leads to adverse effects. But, there is need to come up with measures in order to address these challenges and reverse this trend. To start with, many citizens are working towards care safety and the government has employed raft of measures. Many hospitals and other caregivers are prosecuted for errors that occurs while a patient is under their care. There is need as a society to avoid a blame game and focus on improving care delivery and work on systems improvement in the country. Decisions made by managers and other stakeholders can determine on whether the hospital will be safe or alternatively create an enabling environment that reduces medical errors.
Since medical errors are expensive, managers should create incentives of reducing them. First, there is need to create proper communication between patients and health workers. In addition, there is need to put in place new structures and systems for improvement, continuous training for health workers and employing technology to eliminate information breakdown. The Institute of Medicine has proposed the adoption of a National Mandatory reporting system for all hospitals as a measure of preventing medical errors (Yoon et al 2014). Finally, all the institutions should strive and forge for an open dialogue about this issue and find a middle ground.
Conclusion
References
Andel, C., Davidow, S. L., Hollander, M., & Moreno, D. A. (2012). The economics of health
care quality and medical errors. Journal of health care finance, 39(1), 39.
Johnson, N. B., Hayes, L. D., Brown, K., Hoo, E. C., Ethier, K. A., & Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). (2014). CDC National Health Report: leading causes of morbidity and mortality and associated behavioral risk and protective factors—United States, 2005–2013. MMWR Surveill Summ, 63(Suppl 4), 3-27.
Yoon, P. W., Bastian, B., Anderson, R. N., Collins, J. L., Jaffe, H. W., & Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). (2014). Potentially preventable deaths from the five leading causes of death—United States, 2008–2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 63(17), 369-74.
