Two deaths from medical errors reported at local hospitals last year
(THE MED CITY BEAT) - Minnesota hospitals and surgical centers reported 308 medical errors last year that risked patient safety, according to an annual report by the state's department of health.
Among the adverse health events from October 2013 to October 2014, 13 resulted in deaths and 98 in serious injuries. The error rate was slightly higher than the previous year, but mistakes were still rare considering the state's 2.6 million patient days.
This is the 11th year the health department has published the Adverse Health Events in Minnesota report. Four new factors were considered in this year's study, including risks associated with labor and delivery.
"The addition of these new events highlight that the core of Minnesota's hospital safety effort is to always keep striving for additional improvements and new opportunities to protect patients," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ed Ehlinger, in a news release.
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The most frequently reported events were pressure ulcers (107) and falls associated with serious injury or death (79), according to the report. The next most frequently reported events were foreign objects left in patients after surgery or an invasive procedure (33).
"The ultimate goal of the adverse reporting system is to use data to identify and implement best practices that improve patient safety," the report says.
A total of 28 states track adverse events, but only three states (Minnesota, New Hampshire and Colorado) make reports available to the public.
Mayo Clinic Rochester:
Olmsted Medical Center:
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(Cover photo: File / Alex Proimos / Creative Commons)
