GTLA Applauds HHS Report Showing Nationwide Decrease in Preventable Medical Errors

Atlanta, GA – A report released this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that preventable medical errors in hospitals across the country have fallen by 17% over the past three years. This reduction in errors over the 36-month span has resulted, the Department has found, in an estimated 50,000 fewer deaths, 1.3 million fewer harmed patients and nearly $12,000,000,000 in cost savings.

"On behalf of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, I applaud the Department of Health and Human Services for working with healthcare providers across the country to improve the quality of care that our patients are receiving in hospitals," remarked GTLA President Linley Jones. "Having been on the forefront of efforts to improve patient safety through the reduction of preventable medical errors in Georgia hospitals for many years, GTLA has long believed that these efforts could be successful only if they were focused on the training and continuing education of healthcare providers – not limiting the rights of injured patients."

It has been estimated that at least 98,000 Americans die each year as a result of preventable medical errors, though a recent study in the Journal of Patient Safety found that the number of preventable deaths could actually be as high as 440,000 annually. The direct cost of these preventable medical errors, according to the Society of Actuaries, amounts to nearly $20 billion each year.

"Though the HHS report shows that progress is being made in our hospitals, there is still a significant amount of work to be done. The fact of the matter is that the number of Americans who die each year as a result of medical errors is still unacceptably high," continued Jones. "As Georgia’s legislators continue to consider options to improve the safety, efficiency and financial standing of our medical facilities, I implore them to follow the lead of the Department of Health and Human Services in recognizing that the solution to the epidemic of preventable medical errors does not lie in shielding negligent healthcare providers from accountability.

"To ultimately recognize the savings associated with the elimination of preventable medical errors – namely, the saving of innocent human lives and the cost savings that would accompany it – we must keep our focus squarely on patient safety initiatives," concluded Jones.

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