Government Proposes New Patient Reporting System

Posted by in Healthcare


If you’re a doctor, nurse or healthcare practitioner, you’ve probably seen the alarming statistics of medical errors. A brief overview as reported by Answer My Health Question serves as a sobering reminder:

 

  • Every year, 7,000 patients die due to sloppy handwriting.
  • Over 7.5 million unnecessary medical & surgical procedures are performed annually.
  • More than half of the US population has received unnecessary medical treatment.
  • Over 42% of people have been directly affected by a medical mistake, procedure or drug.
  • Over 106,000 people die each year from adverse drug reactions to prescription drugs.

 

To stem the tide of injuries and deaths due to medical mistakes, the government has proposed a new patient reporting system. A recent New York Times article suggests that such a reporting system will put a brighter spotlight on doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical practitioners.

 

Under the new reporting system, patients and their relatives would report medical errors through a website and in telephone interviews. The report would ask respondents what happened; details of the event; when, where, whether there was harm; the type of harm; contributing factors; and whether the patient reported the event and to whom. The questionnaire would even list possible reasons:

 

  • A health care provider did not communicate well with the patient or their family.
  • A health care provider didn’t respect the patient’s race, language or culture.
  • A health care provider didn’t seem to care about the patient.
  • A health care provider was too busy.
  • A health care provider didn’t spend enough time with the patient.
  • Health care providers failed to work together.
  • Health care providers were not aware of care received  elsewhere.

 

Proponents argue such reporting could reveal how a drug mix-up occurred, why a surgery was performed on the wrong body part, or how a patient received too much radiation.

 

Hospitals, doctors and nurses say the proposal has merit. “It’s a great concept. The idea is welcome,” said Nancy E. Foster, a vice president of the American Hospital Association. Many doctors agree. Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, the director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said, “Currently there is no mechanism for consumers to report information about patient safety events. Patient reports could complement and enhance reports from providers and thus produce a more complete and accurate understanding of the prevalence and characteristics of medical errors.”

 

If the pilot project is cleared by the White House, questionnaires would start popping up at kiosks in hospitals and doctors’ offices as early as May 2013. Information about the project would available at pharmacies and mailed to patients. Reporting is voluntary, and the information would be kept confidential.

 

The goal is to determine if the mistake involved the wrong medicine, the wrong dose of medicine or reactions to a drug; the wrong test or procedure, the wrong diagnosis or surgery on the wrong body part; or blood clots, infections, problems with anesthesia or “unclean or unsanitary care.” 

 

Image by nattavut / freedigitalphotos.net

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  • Libbie S
    Libbie S
    This is a good resource for families. I would like to know more about follow up from the reports.
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes
    Thank you, Barbara for your comments. A more holistic approach to solving this problem would certainly help.
  • Barbara D
    Barbara D
    I believe it is vitally important to look at other causes for poor care and this should be incorporated into the goal agenda.  For example; individuals suffer from wrong decisions, inadequate care that allows chronic conditions to develop because of lack of insurance, protopathic bias, and as a result of being too busy and understaffed.  Change and improvement will only occur if we take a focused look at the entire issues with healthcare services and outcomes.
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes
    Debra, you can get involved in this by checking out job opportunities at The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)  http://www.ahrq.gov/about/vacancy.htmDonna, Michelle, now that Obama has been re-elected, I'm afraid you'll have to get used to government involvement in your healthcare.
  • Debra B
    Debra B
    I would like to get involved in this type of initiative.  Please forward any information on submitting a resume.Thank you.
  • Donna C
    Donna C
    I would like the goverment to stay out of my health care
  • Michael N
    Michael N
    I am in favor of such a system if will help in decreasing medical errors. I am a healthcare professional and believe this would go a long as far as patient safety is concerned.
  • sylvelin k
    sylvelin k
    I think Insurance companies should be the focus of scrutiny because they influence the way medicine is practiced from reimbursement to what drugs are on particular formularies.  Patients don't want to pay for a medication that is not covered by insurance.  Why should a patient have to stop taking what works because their insurance company dictates it.  
  • JANICE BRADY
    JANICE BRADY
    I think it is about time that patients/clients had a say in the misdiagnosing/failure to treat, mismanagement of care/and many inappropriate handling of medical cases where serious error on the part of medical so called professionals outright harmed patients due to their ignorance & failing to provide alternative options in the event that they did not know how to treat a specific condition, it's called a referral.
  • Michelle M
    Michelle M
    I think that government involved health care is a callous display of democrats to steal from the pockets of the wealthy.  And whenever the government puts its sticky fingers into things that church people should be helping with, there is a miasma, a disconnect, a waste of time and resources.  And, I think that that stinks--less government involvement in "health care" is the way to go--not more.  Look at Massachusetts, does it work there?  Then why go nationwide?I think that trial lawyers, the ambulance chasers will make a mint off of this, and its ridiculous!Let doctors and nurses sleep better, and less mistakes will be made by them.
  • Pamela D
    Pamela D
    good idea.
  • Melanie g
    Melanie g
    i think as health care providers we have to be proactive in our own health care and the health care of our familes,and we must realize that doctors & nurses are only human,not god,they can & do make mistakes.if something does not seem right,ask questions & more questions,even if it irritates the doctor\nurse.as an example : last year my mom was hospitalized with a-fib.@ our local "heart " hospital.not only was there a patient mix up (the doctor was in the wrong room).he began talking to my mom about her heart,which all matched,than began to talk about her uncontrolled diabetes.she new no different and was agreeable with him,my other sisters would not speak up.i however,questioned him and said she was never a diabetic,he continued to argue with me about her blood sugar levels and on & on. till finally i said "you must be in the wrong room" not only that @ this "heart hospital"- the advertise to get there fast if your having a heart attack, we waited over 48 hours to see a cardiologist. bottom line is communication,if it does not seem right, ask question,upon question
  • Linda Chaplin
    Linda Chaplin
    I think it is great for consumers to have the right to report situations that they or myself have experienced through healthrelated care and treatments. But you are dealing with a much bigger issue surrounding why people are given the wrong doses of medication, the wrong treatment is given, the wrong body part is removed. This country, the United States does not valve the care and treatment of our citzens. When we get older, many people are placed in nursing homes without enough staff to care for them. Staff is either underpayed, unstaffed due to economy issues and these companies, to which run their facilities trying to make profit. Patients and resident's do not recieve the care they should get and suffer the results of the above conditions. No one available to bring them to the bathroom in a timely matter, they try to do it themselves, fall, injured. A nurse with too many patients, running around to get it all done and out on time because you will be written up for staying passed your scheduled hours, gives the wrong medication dose, meds to wrong patient, etc..... This is also occurring in our hospitals. If, we are to reduce malpractice incidents, we have to take a interest in providing quality of care for every one. Provide every staff/patient ratios. This would allow Nurses/CNA's enough time to provide the care we all desire. In other counties, the elderly are considered those who have provide knowledge, wisdom, support, guidance, or worked hard to finanically support their familities. But yet, here, in America we basically, devalved all they have done or provided for us and we thanlked they for that by providing they with they care and respect they deserve. I have worked in the health field and am currently still working in the health field and have only seen a few facilities or agencies which are able to try to meet most of the needs of their patients/residents. I am very afraid to become old. I am afraid of the lack of care I will recieve because I see it all already. In order for things to change, it must start in goverment and with the people of this great country to step and care about how important health care is for all of us.
  • June M
    June M
    I think it is a good idea, because it would make healthcare personnel more conscientious and accountable for the care they provide for their patients
  • Marian H
    Marian H
    This patient reporting system would benefit patients and healthcare professionals in providing quality healthcare services.
  • Carrie B
    Carrie B
    Great idea !  I would love to be involved in this endeavor!
  • Marcia G
    Marcia G
    Think this is great! I do think if the patient can take it upon themselves to engineer their own care follow up, questions, clearity and such it is about them, for them, and should be their top concearn.
  • Alex H
    Alex H
    There is a way to report what is going with the quality of hospital service.  Has anyone heard of Google?  Dr. Carolyn Clancy's comment about no mechanism to report on patient safety events is wrong! Every hospital is listed in Google if you look them up.  There are also reviews that you can leave for them online.  The questions may be more general since the questionnaire is not geared to a particular industry.There are other third party sites like healthgrades.com to leave a review that is more geared toward the medical industry.  There is definitely a market for this need to review hospitals and the processes in their clinical areas.  This is what pushed me to pursue a 2nd degree in Health Informatics.  My goal is to help healthcare facilities to run more efficient quality care using Six Sigma Lean principles, and manage their Reputation with viable online marketing strategies.   I would like to network with other colleagues to address this issue because I believe it won't done correctly if we leave it to government to manage it.  Let's make sure that patient rights are upheld for the best quality care they deserve. Kindly,Alex HerreraReputation Management/Lean Process Expertalex_herrera25@hotmail.com
  • Vigermina R
    Vigermina R
    The idea will place patients  in the top of their rights  when  receiving healthcare services, medications and procedures. The patients have the right to know.  The hospital have their procedures to report  and manage errors, but it is an excellent way to have another  resource   in order to have  better opportunities to  learn  from errors and to avoid them. Education is a key factor for all, patients, healthcare organizations  and health care professionals. Nurses have to have their knowledge up to date in their drugs administrating process,  drug indications,  and to have  the  ability  to listen   when a patient tell them  for example “ this medication  is new? I have never used it before” to avoid medication errors.As a nurse in quality and risk management area, my experience  tell me that if we could listen  better to what patients tell, many errors could be avoided.  The nurse and other professionals should empower themselves  adopting the first  Patient National Safety Goal of the Joint Commission as their security shield for the patients in the error prevention.
  • Karen M
    Karen M
    Great idea but it will never happen. The AMAwill never make bcause Dr's do not want toBe held accountable. This was started in March 2012 still no news or ?aires sent n it'sOctober 2012 . We r not a stupid citizen
  • KIMBERLEE L
    KIMBERLEE L
    I think it would a great idea. I am a home health provider and see alot of mistakles
  • Terri Lynne C
    Terri Lynne C
    I think it is great it will prevent nurses who write they passed pills and charted such it will catch up with them. The only thing that irritates me most that some individuals are not able to speak for themselves and so they do not get their much needed medicine. I see a lot of this happening in the inner city. My Black friend calls it "Getto Nursing", it is a shame that people still can not get the care they deserve. This is a nurse who has been in practice 22 years and some people really think this is cool way to work  and with the shortage of good nurses out there hopefully this will weed the bad out. i would just like the government to give out more grants to working nurses trying to finish their degrees in other areas of practice.
  • Clarissa R
    Clarissa R
    Well, I feel that the program will be of great benefit to the hospitals/facilities, and patients/families alike. We all are imperfect and make mistakes but with a double eye so to speak will help to curve the amount of mistakes.  This program will help to track where the largest number of mistakes occur and how to begin to benchmark how to correct such mistakes.
  • Mary B
    Mary B
    I think itis a good idea to have a way for patients to tell about mistakes made by health care personelle.
  • Teresse B
    Teresse B
    As a Licensed Practical Nurse I feel it is needed. Maybe now someone will be held accountable.As a patient in a hospital I have had some things happen to me that could have and should have been prevented. Sounds to me like their cracking down.
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