AHRQ study: Surgical errors racking up $1.5B annually

Potentially preventable medical errors that occur during or after surgery may cost employers nearly $1.5 billion a year, according to new estimates by the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Researchers concluded that studies that focus only on medical errors incurred during the initial hospital stay may underestimate the financial impact of patient safety events by as much as 30 percent.

The study, which was published in (ITALICS) Health Services Research, (END ITALICS) was based on a nationwide sample of more than 161,000 patients age 18 to 64 in employer-based health plans who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2002.

The authors used AHRQ's Patient Safety Indicators, a set of indicators providing information on the potential for hospital complications and adverse events following surgeries, procedures and childbirth, to identify medical errors.

AHRQ's William E. Encinosa and Fred J. Hellinger found that insurers paid an additional $28,218 (52 percent more) and an additional $19,480 (48 percent more) for surgery patients who experienced acute respiratory failure or post-operative infections, respectively.

"Like the physical and emotional harm caused by medical errors, the financial consequences don't stop at the hospital door," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD. "Eliminating medical errors and their after-effects must continue to be top priority for our healthcare system."

The authors also found additional costs for surgery patients who experienced the following medical errors:

(bullet) Nursing care associated with medical errors, including pressure ulcers and hip fractures - $12,196 (33 percent more).

(bullet) Metabolic problems associated with medical errors, including kidney failure or uncontrolled blood sugar - $11,797 (32 percent more).

(bullet) Blood clots or other vascular or pulmonary problems associated with medical errors - $7,838 (25 percent more).

(bullet) Wound opening associated with medical errors - $1,426 (6 percent more).

The study also found that one of every 10 patients who died within 90 days of surgery did so because of a preventable error and that one-third of the deaths occurred after the initial hospital discharge.