What Everyone Should Know About Medical Mistakes

By Thomas Sheridan

Thomas Sheridan, founder of Sheridan & Murray, and respected Philadelphia personal injury lawyer discusses the facts about medical mistakes.

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a seminal study titled “To Err Is Human”. This study concluded that as many as 98,000 people die in American hospitals each year as a result of medical mistakes that are preventable. Ninety-eight thousand deaths per year is a staggering statistic. More people are killed each year by medical mistakes than car accidents. Medical mistakes account for more deaths every year than breast cancer, and medical mistakes account for more deaths each year than AIDS. Simply stated, health care in the United States is not as safe as it should and must be.

Nevertheless, hospitals, doctors, and medical insurance companies continue to bombard the public with claims that tort reform is necessary to “fix the healthcare system in American.” The medical and insurance lobbies contend that frivolous lawsuits have driven up the cost of medicine in the United States and are a significant cause of increasing healthcare costs. This is simply not true. The real problem with the healthcare system in America is that patient safety is not paramount.


Hospitals and doctors have failed to take any significant action to improve patient safety in America. Among the common medical mistakes that are preventable are improper blood transfusions, surgical injuries, operating on the wrong part of the body, adverse drug events, falls, mistaken patient identities, and burns. Significant error rates are commonly found in intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency departments.

In 2010, the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services reported that 1 in 7 hospital patients experienced a medical error. Of these medical mistakes, 44% were preventable. These medical mistakes cost Medicare $4.4 billion each year. These Medicare cost estimates do not include the additional costs associated with follow up care following medical mistakes. This important study concluded that since most medical mistakes are preventable, the need and opportunity for hospitals to significantly reduce the incidence of mistakes is significant.

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Power of Positive Press

Guest blogger Lauren Black Currin is the President of Lawyers Marketing Agency. While this post talks about law firm marketing, it is relevant to almost all businesses.

Did you know that March 6-12, 2011 is National Consumer Protection Week? So, you run a law firm; why am I telling you about a nationally sponsored campaign run by the U.S. government and various non-profit agencies?



There are hundreds of annual community-focused events just like this one that present a great opportunity to promote your law firm through your participation. These events run the gamut from National Safety Awareness Month to Perennial Gardening Month. Choosing and supporting an event that works for your law firm and staff gives you the opportunity to promote a cause and garner positive publicity for your law firm.

Many of the sponsors of these national “event days” will have press kits that you can utilize to showcase your efforts. For example, National Consumer Protection Week offers press release templates, re-usable social networking content, free flyers and even web buttons and banners you can use on your website to spread the word. In another great example, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides planners, brochures, research data and video clips to help you promote their Share the Road (www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles) motorcycle safety program (a great idea for you PI attorneys out there).

The first thing to do is decide on a cause to support. Get buy-in from everyone to build the “buzz”, and then start planning. Allow 60-90 days to plan and implement, just to be safe. Things to consider:

• Website content and updates
• Publications you might use, i.e., links you can place on your website, a downloadable “tips” PDF or a printed brochure you’ll distribute
• Include information about your event in your newsletter and blog
• Involve your clients and those on your prospect list
• Plan related seminars or other events
• Write one (or more) press releases to be distributed and add them to your website
• Include a link to the event page on your website everywhere possible
• Make it meaningful and have fun

Finally, use your employees and their networks to promote your sponsorship of the event by having them comment on their Facebook and Twitter pages so their friends, family and other contacts all hear about it. If all goes well, this can be an annual event that your staff and clients will look forward to! This type of human interest story and positive press allows people to get to know you and builds that all so important connection. Need more ideas? Just give us a call!