A recent study reports that nearly 100,000 people die each year in hospitals from preventable medical errors, and some estimates find that medical errors cause as many as 200,000 deaths every year. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, the number of hours that doctors are working has actually declined at the same time that demand for doctors has risen.
So why are so many patients dying from medical errors if doctors are working fewer hours? A new article published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that heavy workloads among doctors working in U.S. hospitals may be partly to blame.
Doctors Say Workloads Undermine Patient Safety and Lead To Medical Errors
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently published the results of a survey of more than 500 doctors working in hospitals across the nation. The results reveal that "nearly half" of doctors in the U.S. think that their demanding workloads are causing medical errors and undermining patient safety. In addition, 40 percent of the doctors surveyed believe that the number of patients they treated over the course of a month exceeded safe levels, and 5 percent of doctors reported that their workload may have led to at least one death over the past year.
These results are shocking and require greater discussion of quality of patient care in U.S. hospitals. Heavy workloads can result in failure to adequately discuss treatment options with patients, ordering unnecessary testing and procedures, failure to properly diagnose, and in some cases, death. Over 20 percent of the doctors surveyed reported that their average workload "likely contributed to patient transfers, morbidity, or even mortality."
Hospital administrators and health care providers must consider ways to balance patient safety with doctors' increased demands. Today's economic and health care environment often creates incentives for doctors to take on more patients and provide more treatment. While it is unclear how hospitals will respond to the survey results, it is clear that demanding workloads is a widespread problem affecting doctors across the nation.
Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer In Denver
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a health care provider's mistake or other medical error, Paulsen & Armitage, LLC can protect your rights and help you recover compensation for your injuries. Please contact our office today for a free initial consultation.
