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Survey finds U.S. leading in medical errors

Quality Improvement Monitor, December 2, 2005

 

Survey finds U.S. leading in medical errors

 

A third of patients with health problems in the United States report experiencing medical, medication, or test errors, the highest of any nation in a Commonwealth Fund survey.

 

The survey assessed healthcare access, safety, and care coordination in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Although no one country measured best or worse overall, the U.S. stood out for high error rates, inefficient coordination of care, and high out-of-pocket costs, according to the Commonwealth Fund report.

 

A third (34%) of the more than 1,500 adults surveyed in the U.S. reported at least one of four types of errors: a medical mistake in treatment or care, the wrong medicate or dose, incorrect test results, and delays in being notified about abnormal test results. Three of 10 (30%) Canadians surveyed reported at least one of these errors, as did one-fifth or more of patients surveyed in Australia (27%), New Zealand (25%), Germany (23%), and the United Kingdom (22%).

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