INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— New data released from the Indiana State Department of Health shows that
the state has set another record for medical errors.
The state agency
said Tuesday there were 114 preventable adverse medical incidents in
hospitals and health care facilities in 2014. That's three more than in
any of the other eight years since the agency started gathering
statistics. Errors have topped 100 in seven of nine years, with the
previous high 111 errors in 2013.
The state
collects data on 28 preventable incidents. The most common ones last year
were 44 instances of pressure ulcers, or bedsores, followed by 27
incidents of foreign objects left in patients after surgeries.
The Department of
Health said in its study that there's an increased potential for medical
errors with today's "larger and decentralized" patient care system.
"This report is
intended to encourage a health care culture that looks beyond blame and
supports patient safety through collaboration and responsibility," the
agency said.
When the state
announced plans to start collecting data on preventable errors, experts
warned that the number could increase over time with health care
professionals becoming familiar with reporting laws, the Indianapolis Star
reports.
Nine errors were
reported at Lutheran Health Network facilities, including five at Lutheran
Hospital in Fort Wayne.
Lutheran Health
spokesman Geoff Thomas told the (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette in an email
that its focus on patient safety and staff education "is as strong today
as it has ever been."
"We set the bar
high in these areas and regret when we fall short of our own
expectations," Thomas said. "Personalized, quality care is delivered by
humans, and while none of our staff intends to contribute to a medical
error, humans can make mistakes."
Indiana
University Health reported nine medical errors at its four hospitals in
Indianapolis. Eight errors were reported by St. Vincent Hospital in
Indianapolis, seven were reported by Gary's Methodist Hospital, and five
were reported by South Bend's Memorial Hospital.