A recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services found that just one out of seven medical errors in hospitals is reported. Although the study mainly dealt with Medicare patients, the findings likely extend to all hospital patients.

Disturbingly, the types of medical errors or "adverse events" that didn't get reported included some major mistakes, even some which resulted in the death of the patient. Examples of adverse events include wrong site surgeries, hospital acquired infections and medication errors.

Reporting of Adverse Events By Oregon Hospitals

The Oregon Patient Safety Commission is hoping to significantly increase the reports of adverse events it receives voluntarily from over 50 hospitals in the state. In 2010, Oregon hospitals reported less than 150 adverse events, over 30 of which resulted in patient deaths. The Commission hopes the number of error reports will be up to 500 by 2015.

Of course, no one wants more medical errors to occur, but what seems to be happening in Oregon hospitals, and those across the nation, is that mistakes are happening but remaining unreported. In order for patient safety to improve, experts first need to know when and how adverse events are occurring.

According to the federal report, hospital employees often assumed someone else would report a mistake. Even more troublesome, some errors seemed so routine to medical providers they didn't feel they warranted reporting.

Although Oregon hospitals have been working to prevent errors, in particular to reduce hospital-acquired infections, much work still needs to be done. Adverse events need to be consistently reported so necessary changes can be made. To encourage proper notifications the Commission is developing state standards for error reporting to provide hospitals guidance regarding best practices and information about when and how adverse events should be reported.

Source: OregonLive.com, Making hospitals safer, Oregonian Editorial Board, 9 January 2012