Persuasive Essay On Medical Errors

Another reason that explains asking such question is how doctors are perceived by the society, the way doctors are perceived put a huge pressure on their shoulders, as they're seen as a machine isn't allowed to make mistakes. While the truth is different. First and for most doctors are humans and all humans do mistakes.

"Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error…" (John Hopkins Medicine). This soaring number has caused medical errors to become the third leading cause of death in the United States. For many people, medicine seems foreign and unknown. People who have lost loved ones due to medical error desperately look for a reason, and many times that blame falls upon doctors. Media has put a negative connotation on doctors as well, causing their reputation to plummet whenever a hospital procedure turns badly. A renown surgeon and author, Atul Gawande, uses his knowledge and experience to give people a new perspective on medicine. In the article "When Doctors Make Mistakes," Gawande uses rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos to prove the need for a change in the medical systems and procedures. He analyzes how the public looks at doctors, giving a new perspective to enlighten the reader that even the best doctors can make mistakes.

It is shocking to know that every year 98000 patients die from medical errors that can be prevented(Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J. M., & Donaldson, M. S. (Eds.), 2000). Medical errors are not a new issue in our healthcare system; these have been around for a long time. Hospitals have been trying to improve quality care and patients safety by implementing different strategies to prevent and reduce medical errors for past thirty years. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in America (Allen, 2013). In addition medical errors are costing our healthcare system an estimated $735 billion to $980 billion (Andel, Davidow, Hollander, & Moreno, 2012).

Blendon, R. DesRoches, C. Brodie, M., Benson, J. Rosen, A., & Schneider, A. (2002). Views of practicing physicians and the public on medical errors. New England Journal of Medicine. 347, 1933-1940.

The third leading cause of death in America may surprise you. Hospitals and healthcare organizations dedicate their branding to reflect a place of hope, comfort, and healing when ones health is compromised. Sadly, medical errors do exists in the realm of healthcare. The National Center for Biotechnology Information defines medical error as “an act of omission or commission in planning or execution that contributes to or could contribute to an unintended result.” Medical errors may include incorrect record keeping, administering incorrect medication to a patient, misdiagnosis, failing to remove all surgical instruments and performing surgery on the incorrect site. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality identified eight factors that contribute to the cause of medical errors. These factors include “communication problems, inadequate information flow, human problems, patient-related issues, organizational transfer of knowledge, staffing patterns, technical failures and inadequate policies and procedures.”

Medical errors are avoidable mistakes in the health care. These errors can take place in any type of health care institution. Medical errors can happen during medical tests and diagnosis, administration of medications, during surgery, and even lab reports, such as the mixing of two patients’ blood samples. These errors are usually caused by the lack of communication between doctors, nurses and other staff. A medical error could cause a severe consequence to the patient in cases consisting of severe injuries or cause/effect any health conditions, and even death. According to recent studies medical errors are not the third leading cause of death in the United States. (Walerius. 2016)

Although doctors go through more than 6 years of very intense and extreme preparation before actually treating patients, the truth is, no human being is perfect, and even though we often strive for perfection and greatness, most of the time we make mistakes. Of course, when you’re a doctor the consequences are much worse and bigger, since people’s lives are at stake.

I agree with you, “Medical error prevention” is a priority for the future of the healthcare in the United States. “Preventable medical errors in hospitals are the third leading cause of death in the United States”. “Medical harm is a major cause of suffering, disability, and death – as well as a huge financial cost to our nation”. (Sanders, B., 2014).

Several years ago a patient woke up from surgery and asked her surgeon, “Why is he bandage on my left ankle instead of my right” (Levy 1)? The doctor realized e operated on the wrong ankle and immediately reported the error to the higher authority in the hospital (Levy 1). During the cases the doctor wasn’t punished for his mistake because the people thought he had suffered enough disgrace on knowing he made a mistake as a healthcare provider (Levy 1). “People in the medical field are well intentioned and feel distress when they harm patients. Let’s reserve punishment for clear cares of negligence. Other error should be used to reinforce a learning environment in which we are hard on problems rather than hard on the people” (Levy 1). “Two former patients of John

The reasons behind doctors’ mistakes is such a controversial topic, all humans make mistakes, but why are doctors being asked when they do? The reason why doctors are questioned is because their mistakes have much bigger consequences than laymen’. It's people who work in life-oriented professions whom their actions have a broader impact. Another reason that explains asking such question is how doctors are perceived by the society, our angle of view puts a huge pressure on their shoulders, as they're seen as a machines aren't allowed to make mistakes. While the truth is different.

First, issue regarding the questionable clinical decision making and patient safety. Clinical decisions are very important for the simple fact that one’s life is in the hands of those healthcare professionals taking care of them. Some of these questionable decisions lead to wrong procedures, treatments, and duplicate medical records. These types of errors can be very life threatening and cannot be taken lightly. People can have a fatal result in their life, and if not they can lead to a debilitating outcome. In the 7,613

When doctors admit that they made mistakes, it can help prevent the mistake happening again. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, an apology is a statement given by one has injured another that includes recognition of the error that has occurred, admits fault and takes responsibility, and communicates a sincere sense of regret or remorse for having caused harm. Most doctors don’t like to admit their mistakes because they only feel the need to be apoligitic, but if they admit it the mistake can be prevented. Other doctors can learn from mistakes, so it doesn’t happen to their patients. Some doctors have the idea of “what they don’t know cant hurt them”; according to the US National Library of Medicine

In today's modern world with plenty of technology, it is hard to believe that we cannot figure out how to reduce Medical errors. The issue of medical error is not new in health care organizations. It has been in spot light since 1990's, when government did research on sudden increase in number of death in the hospitals. According to Lester, H., & Tritter, J. (2001), "Medical error is an actual or potential serious lapse in the standard of care provided to a patient, or harm caused to a patient through the performance of a health service or health care professional." Medical errors

People will always make mistakes, it doesn't matter who the person is, because nobody is perfect. Therefore, if everyone was perfect, no one would learn, have to go to school, and would eventually over power each other. Several have made their own personal mistakes, in which has changed them for the better. A young girl with the name of Andrea, made several mistakes in the past few years of her life. Andrea chose to hang out around the wrong group of people, stayed working at a place that made her life toxic physically and mentally, and she never got involved in school sports or any other activities in school, for she had a low self-esteem.

Writing about mistakes are not easy. Especially if it involves people you care about. It appears that hindsight is definitely 20/20. To look back at the mistake of my past relationship with my girlfriend and to feel the strong feelings as if we were together yesterday, then reality that she's vanished and now only a strong memory. The pressure of being a guy in freshman year at a large high school is like swimming in the middle of an ocean. So many waves around you pleading for attention and to accept the plead only has your arms in a raging motion trying to keep your head up. Yes, I kissed a girl while loving another. Am I proud? No. To turn back time and not fall in the trap would be a life jacket surrounding my heart and preventing me from drowning and sinking to this place where love is hard to find.