A perspective from clinical and business ethics on adverse events in hospitalized patients.
Adverse events occur in a significant, but undetermined, number of hospitalized patients. These types of patient injuries are more often the result of faulty systems than human maleficence. A culture exists among health care providers that discourages the reporting of such events and resists the implementation of formal efforts to eliminate them. This resistance serves to perpetuate the problem. Both business and clinical ethics argue that sound reasons exist for hospitals to reduce, if not eliminate, adverse events. To do so is cost effective, particularly in a managed care environment. It is also at the heart of responsible professional behavior. Physicians are afforded an opportunity to be at the forefront in this quality improvement effort.
Wagner
J T
JT
Program in Medical Ethics, Law and the Humanities, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
Meier
C
C
Higdon
T
T
D000059:Accidents; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D006739:Hospital Administration; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011050:Policy Making; D017149:Private Sector; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012308:Risk Management / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012449:Safety; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology