Study: Medical Errors Officially the 3rd Leading Cause Of Death In U.S.

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Researchers estimate more than 250K deaths a year caused by medical mistakes

May 3, 2016 | By Paige Minemyer

A new study published in The BMJ confirms that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in United States, behind only heart disease and cancer.

The study, led by Martin Makary, M.D., professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, analyzed medical death rate data over an eight-year period and found that more than 250,000 deaths per year occur due to medical error, beating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) third leading cause of death--respiratory disease--by more than 100,000 cases.

The latest findings echo research conducted in 2013 that determined each year preventable adverse events lead to the death of 210,000-400,000 patients who seek care at hospitals, FierceHealthcare previously reported. 

Makary's research suggests that deaths stemming from medical error translate to 9.5 percent of all deaths each year in the U.S.

The reason for the discrepancy between the latest findings and the CDC statistics is that the federal agency's way of collecting the data does not classify medical errors separately on the death certificate, skewing the numbers, according to the researchers.

"Incidence rates for deaths directly attributable to medical care gone awry haven't been recognized in any standardized method for collecting national statistics," Makary said in a statement. "The medical coding system was designed to maximize billing for physician services, not to collect national health statistics, as it is currently being used."

Thank you Ms Minemyer and FH.

Mistakes. So that's what they're calling them. Mistakes.

SFMHB 06/13/07

That's not what we'd call them.

There is no statute of limitations in California on Attempted Murder.

Mistakes. Our hind GD foot.