Question

a cause for growing concern. According to studies conducted by HealthGrades (2008), 238,337 Medicare patients died in the years 2004 through 2006 from potentially preventable, in-hospital errors. In 2000, President Clinton made an unsuccessful request for a law to require the public reporting of medical errors. Congress addressed the issue again in 2005, but no legislation was passed. People in favor of a reporting law believe it will improve the overall quality of health care. Those who are opposed, argue that it will result in increased attempts to cover up errors and thus prevent the follow-up needed to correct them. The Health Care Reform Act of 2010 reportedly does not require the reporting of medical errors. 1. Do you believe that medical errors should be reported publicly? Explain your answer. 2. How serious should errors be to require reporting them within the organization? Outside the organization? 3. Who should be responsible for tracking and handling medical errors? 4. What do you think might be the consequences if a law that required the reporting of medical errors were passed?

Answer 1

1, Medical errors can be reported publically it will improve the quality of care by avoiding potential errors, it gives awareness to health care professionals to avoid their near miss errors which ensure patient safety.
2, Reporting is an important process that benefits from avoiding near misses and errors within the organization to improve patient safety. Health care organizations should serve benefit for the patient. Reporting within the organization can communicate the stakeholders to reduce the risk of errors. the organization should implement staff education, budget appropriation, staff advice it helps to avoid serious errors. disclosure policy can improve cultural change and respect for patients autonomy to support patients right about health care errors. Reporting system outside the organization or external reporting system like medical events reporting system like joint commission and the state department of health allow for analysis and make communication alert for stakeholders for disclosing actual errors by warning others. Database reporting avoids potential errors across critical access hospitals.
3, Nurses are responsible for tracking and handling medical errors. They need special education, changes in policies and procedures to prevent errors and make awareness of the cause of errors. they have a professional responsibility to report the errors.
4, Legislation is the important regulatory mechanism in health care it can change the professional culture to improve patient safety. legal norms for medical activity ruled by professionals and ethical rates. legal rules provide incentives to health professionals for delivering optimal care and safeguarding the legal protection of patients and it avoids possible errors. Civil liability of a health professional can avoid negligence and a person fault these laws ensure patients care by immediately informed for adverse events it promotes a reporting system for patient safety by clinical decision making in case of adverse events.