Arthur M. Lauretano, MD, MS, FACS
Author of Do The Right Thing
Walking to Lowell General Hospital this morning, I was greeted by a sign that read, “Happy Doctor’s Day! Honor, Trust, Knowledge.” Now, of course, the cynical will see such a day as another “Hallmark Holiday,” along with Administrative Assistant’s Day, Bosses’ Day, and the like. But it’s always nice to be appreciated, so the sign, as well as my wife’s greeting of “Happy Doctor’s Day” this morning, brought a smile to my face.
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a landmark report, “To Err is Human,” that stunned the medical community and ignited the patient safety movement. The IOM noted that at least 44,000 and as many as 98,000 patients die per year as the result of preventable medical errors.
The IOM numbers did not include errors that result in serious injuries that often leave patients very ill or permanently disabled. Thus, in addition to the nearly 100,000 deaths, the IOM estimated that one million people are injured by errors that occur in hospitals.