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Reducing surgeon error through education

When people in New York seek medical attention, they are relying on the expertise of their physician to evaluate, diagnose and treat their illnesses properly. Unfortunately, when a doctor makes mistakes, the effects can be devastating. This may be particularly true for surgeons, who often treat patients who are at their most vulnerable. A careless surgeon can easily commit a fatal surgical error or cause serious injury and organ damage.

Misdiagnosis occuring too frequently

New York residents may have some concern about the the alarming rate of medical misdiagnoses that have been occurring around the country. A recent report identified diagnostic errors as a blind spot in U.S. medicine that has been life-altering for a countless number of people. Researchers claim that, on average, everyone experiences at least a delayed or incorrect diagnosis during their lifetime. According to the Institute of Medicine, improvement is absolutely necessary, since diagnostic errors have gone unnoticed for far too long.

Pharmacist workload may lead to medication errors

As New York residents may know, pharmacists fill many prescriptions daily as well as performing other duties such as talking to individuals to instruct them on their medications. A recent study shows that pharmacists who fill too many prescriptions in a day have a greater risk of making mistakes. Pharmacists from two Texas hospitals authored the study that appeared in a pharmacy magazine, and included medication orders for over 1.9 million patients that were filled by 50 pharmacists. The study was over a period of one year and showed 92 prescription errors during the time the orders were verified. Out of every 100,000 verified orders, slightly less than five errors were found.