Report: 17 percent drop in hospital patient harm
A federal review of hospital medical records and other data has found a 17 percent decline in infections, drug mistakes, bedsores and other preventable complications from 2010 to 2013.
The Health and Human Services Department released the report Tuesday. It says 50,000 fewer patients died in the hospital and about $12 billion in health care costs were saved as a result.
The report lists likely contributing causes, including technical help, public reporting on errors and financial penalties.
But patient safety expert Dr. Peter Angood says the health care industry has a long way to go, and it's still unclear which strategies work best. The report finds that 10 percent of hospitalized patients still experience such errors.
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