22% of Families Have Experienced Medical Error Resulting in a Serious Problem, Survey Shows

More than one in five Americans say they or a family member has experienced a medical or prescription drug error that resulted in a serious problem, according to a new Commonwealth Fund survey. Reuters Health reports that the study attributes the problem to a "lack of adequate systems to ensure proper diagnosis, prevention and treatment." The U.S. health care system has been "complacent for far too long," Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis, the study's lead author, said, adding, "We haven't put emphasis on guaranteeing safety and reaching high standards of care for everyone" (Pallarito, Reuters Health, 4/16). In the survey of 6,722 adults, 22% reported that they or a family member had experienced a medical or medication error, a finding that translates to 8.1 million households nationwide. Sixteen percent of participants said they or a family member received the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, and 10% said they or a family member were subjected to a mistake at a doctor's office or a hospital (Commonwealth Fund release, 4/15). The report follows two studies on the quality of health care conducted by the Institute of Medicine in 1999 and 2001; the former brought the issue to the forefront by concluding that medical errors cause up to 98,000 deaths per year. "We're right to be concerned about ... 98,000 deaths a year, but it goes beyond just deaths," Davis said (Reuters Health, 4/16).

Communication Breakdown
The report states that poor communication between physicians and patients may contribute to medical errors. In the survey, 20% of participants reported communication problems, including not understanding information, feeling as if physicians were not listening and having questions they did not ask. About 25% of those surveyed said they had not followed a doctor's advice at some point in the last two years -- of these respondents, 39% said they disagreed with the doctor; 27% said the advice was too costly; 26% said it was too difficult; and 20% said it was against their personal belief. The survey also found that preventive services and chronic condition monitoring are underused. Twenty percent of women over age 18 had not received a Pap smear in the past three years; 20% of adults had not undergone cholesterol screening in the past five years; and 44% had not had an annual dental exam (Commonwealth Fund release, 4/15). "The U.S. health care system has no mechanisms in place to ensure that all adults receive preventive care at recommended intervals and are provided with the services required for proper management of chronic conditions, nor does it systemically train and encourage physicians to counsel patients regarding healthy behavior," the report said (Reuters Health, 4/16). Another problem may be continuity of care -- only 34% of respondents said they had the same doctor for more than five years (Commonwealth Fund release, 4/15). The report contends that these factors are contributing to a loss of faith in the health care system. "I think we really need to rethink the way we pay for health care and reward quality," Davis concluded (Reuters Health, 4/16). The report is available online. Note: You will need Abode Acrobat Reader to view the report.