• Michael Millenson, Author, Demanding Medical Excellence
  
  

Presentation on Demanding Medical Excellence: A Call to Action

How we talk about safety:

1. Inpatient:
   • 44K-98K deaths from preventable errors during hospitalization [more than from auto accidents or AIDS]
   • $17B-$29B in added costs [lost income, lost household production, disability and direct health care costs]
2. Outpatient:
   • 1 of 131 outpt. deaths due to medication errors
   • Potentially avoidable admissions due to drug-related problems of $177B – greater than drugs’ cost

What drs. and pts. experience:

1. Drs.:
   • 35% experienced an error in their own or family member’s care
   • 18% reported a serious adverse consequence
     • Death: 7%
     • Long-term disability: 6%
     • Severe pain: 11%
2. Pts.:
   • 42% experienced an error in their own or family member’s care
   • 24% reported a serious adverse consequence
     • Death: 10%
     • Long-term disability: 1%
     • Severe pain: 16%

Biggest Problem in Healthcare:

1. Drs.:
   • 29% – Malpractice costs
   • 27% – Cost of healthcare
   • 22% – Insurer and health plan problems
   • 5% – Medical errors
2. Pts.:
   • 38% – Cost of healthcare
   • 31% – Cost of Rx drugs
   • 6% – Medical errors

Data + Experience = NO ONE CARES

Change faces obstacles, but failure to change carries consequences. Will healthcare change quickly enough? Will professionalism be redefined?