Medical Errors At A Five-Year High In Indiana

September 12, 2012

With end-of-year-medical reports from December showing that Indiana has hit a five-year high in medical errors, many citizens are calling for the healthcare industry to better protect patients through advanced technology.

An article from The Clinical Advisor pointed out that last year, a total of 107 adverse events were reported in hospitals across the state. The number of medical errors was up from 94 the previous year and 105 the year before that.

The number one cause of reported medical errors came from patients complaining of pressure ulcers, with 34 reported cases in the last year of collecting data. Pressure ulcers were closely followed by 33 reports of foreign objects being left in patients’ bodies following surgeries. A total of 17 cases of death or seriously disabling injury were associated with slip and fall injuries in hospitals as well.

The Indiana State Department of Health is working to eliminate these mistakes, as they often result in the filing of Indiana medical malpractice claims, by implementing new technology into hospitals and medical facilities throughout Indiana. Some of the new devices include advanced patient alarm systems and paperless filing systems that centralize a patient’s information.

The Indiana disability lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin hope that his new technology will help to prevent patients from suffering at the hands of mistakes made by a negligent medical staff.