In a survey, 30% of respondents reported that either they or a family member or friend have experienced a medical error such as receiving the wrong medication, dosage or treatment.
In addition, more than one in five respondents reported having been misdiagnosed by their physician and 45% reported having received an incorrect bill from their healthcare provider.
Regardless of whether they reported having experienced a medical error, 73% of respondents said they are concerned about medical errors and 45% reported being "very concerned" about such errors. Women (76%) expressed concern on a greater scale than men (68%), as did respondents ages 35 to 54 (76%) versus those who are younger (66%).
Despite high levels of concern about medical errors, Americans have confidence in technology to help reduce mistakes, according to the survey. The majority, 68%, believe that as the healthcare field continues to adopt new technologies, medical errors likely will decrease.
The survey was conducted on behalf of Wolters Kluwer Health by Ipsos among 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 and older. Survey questions focused on uncovering consumer experiences with medical errors, consumer perceptions on why errors occur and patient habits to help prevent errors at the point of care.
Perceived problems
When asked why they believe most medical errors occur, more than one third of respondents (35%) cited miscommunication among hospital staff as the top reason. The next most common reasons cited included physicians and nurses being in a hurry (26%), staff being fatigued (14%) and hospitals experiencing staffing shortages (12%).
Survey results also revealed that the vast majority of Americans, 84%, have taken some type of action as a patient to help reduce the possibility of errors in their own care. The most common action is doing research on their own to validate a physician’s diagnosis or treatment plan (66%). This practice is more common among women (71%) compared with men (60%).
In addition, more than half of consumers (56%) have gotten a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment plan and more than a third (36%) have written down instructions for their physician or nurse.
"What is clear from the survey findings is that there is a high level of concern among American consumers about medical mistakes, which could impact the doctor-patient relationship as well as how consumers approach their own healthcare," Linda Peitzman, MD, chief medical officer for Wolters Kluwer Health, said in a news release.
"Clinical decision support tools can play a significant role in reducing instances of medical errors and improving communication among parties involved in a patient’s care. Studies have shown that hospitals that adopt certain clinical decision support systems experience shorter hospital lengths of stay, reduced mortality rates and overall improvements in quality of care."
Among other findings from the survey, 19% of respondents said they have delayed a procedure in favor of a day when the physician might be more focused or rested (not on the weekends or late in the week, for example), and 18% said they have asked a nurse or physician to wash his or her hands.
More than half of respondents (55%) ages 35 to 54 reported receiving an incorrect healthcare bill.
An executive summary of the survey findings is available as a PDF: http://bit.ly/Oft1i6.
In addition, more than one in five respondents reported having been misdiagnosed by their physician and 45% reported having received an incorrect bill from their healthcare provider.
Regardless of whether they reported having experienced a medical error, 73% of respondents said they are concerned about medical errors and 45% reported being "very concerned" about such errors. Women (76%) expressed concern on a greater scale than men (68%), as did respondents ages 35 to 54 (76%) versus those who are younger (66%).
Despite high levels of concern about medical errors, Americans have confidence in technology to help reduce mistakes, according to the survey. The majority, 68%, believe that as the healthcare field continues to adopt new technologies, medical errors likely will decrease.
The survey was conducted on behalf of Wolters Kluwer Health by Ipsos among 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 and older. Survey questions focused on uncovering consumer experiences with medical errors, consumer perceptions on why errors occur and patient habits to help prevent errors at the point of care.
Perceived problems
When asked why they believe most medical errors occur, more than one third of respondents (35%) cited miscommunication among hospital staff as the top reason. The next most common reasons cited included physicians and nurses being in a hurry (26%), staff being fatigued (14%) and hospitals experiencing staffing shortages (12%).
Survey results also revealed that the vast majority of Americans, 84%, have taken some type of action as a patient to help reduce the possibility of errors in their own care. The most common action is doing research on their own to validate a physician’s diagnosis or treatment plan (66%). This practice is more common among women (71%) compared with men (60%).
In addition, more than half of consumers (56%) have gotten a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment plan and more than a third (36%) have written down instructions for their physician or nurse.
"What is clear from the survey findings is that there is a high level of concern among American consumers about medical mistakes, which could impact the doctor-patient relationship as well as how consumers approach their own healthcare," Linda Peitzman, MD, chief medical officer for Wolters Kluwer Health, said in a news release.
"Clinical decision support tools can play a significant role in reducing instances of medical errors and improving communication among parties involved in a patient’s care. Studies have shown that hospitals that adopt certain clinical decision support systems experience shorter hospital lengths of stay, reduced mortality rates and overall improvements in quality of care."
Among other findings from the survey, 19% of respondents said they have delayed a procedure in favor of a day when the physician might be more focused or rested (not on the weekends or late in the week, for example), and 18% said they have asked a nurse or physician to wash his or her hands.
More than half of respondents (55%) ages 35 to 54 reported receiving an incorrect healthcare bill.
An executive summary of the survey findings is available as a PDF: http://bit.ly/Oft1i6.
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