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Health care errors blamed for deaths

by Medindia Content Team on Jul 17 2005 9:58 AM

Improper cleanliness and hygiene maintained by the health workers may cause as much as one-eighth of the deaths that happen, says a new study.

Researchers from University of Illinois had reported that more than the fear of lawsuits, it is the negligence of the health workers that cause the erratic nature of health care being meted out to the general public who approach the health care systems. The report said that the number of deaths that would have been avoided if the healthcare workers have washed their hands alone can be is as many as 20,000 per year in US. This is more that the number of people who die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer and AIDS in a year.

The researchers said that the healthcare workers routinely avoids health procedures, performs treatments that are ineffective or not required, and use patterns of behavior that vary greatly from each place of health care to another. Incidents of patients being given the wrong drug are quite common.

Another mindset that is prevalent in the healthcare industry is the seemingly resistance to new technology, as the application of high-tech gadgets applied to deal with medical procedures and treatments are far less when compared to the latest software used in the hospital billing system.

The healthcare workers are the physicians, the paramedics, and the entire range of nurses, paramedics, assistants who regularly handle patients in providing them with systematic healthcare.

Reference: University of Illinois, news release, July 2005


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