 |
 |
This article (see below) from The Third Age Web Site. I stumbled upon this outstanding Site a coupla months ago and have found it simply one of THE very best Web sites I've yet to find. It's directed at the Boomer-and-older generations - them of us whose kids are grown up and who are now "rediscovering and exploring life" with the freedom of being a mature adult. See http://www.thirdage.com Make sure you explore the entire site because it's got lotsa little nooks and crannies that are informational and visual treats. Enjoy! READ ON!!! Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A patient safety monitoring group says the American public views the nation's healthcare system as "moderately safe" but "less safe than flying in an airplane." A survey of more than 1,500 people conducted for the nonprofit National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) says 42 percent of those responding indicated "they or a close friend or relative have experienced a medical mistake," says Mary Woolley, president of the Research! America advocacy group and an NPSF board member. Meanwhile, a Harvard public health expert suggests that current medical delivery "systems" have to take some of the blame. The Louis Harris & Associates poll conducted for the NPSF suggests that "medical mistakes" in the nation's health system may have affected more than 100 million Americans. Wooley says 40 percent of those surveyed reported instances of misdiagnosis and 22 percent reported errors in medical procedures. Errors in medication were reported by 28 percent and the poll indicated that "in one third of cases, the medical mistake was reported to have had a permanent effect on the physical health of the patient." "The public views health care as moderately safe," Woolley says. "Safer than nuclear power or food handling, but less safe than flying in an airplane." Most errors in health care can be laid at the door of faulty health care systems containing "poorly designed processes" that contribute to errors, says Dr. Lucian Leape of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Institute for Health Care Improvement.