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South Carolina hospitals are striving to prevent deaths due to
medical errors and infections. A national campaign and legislative
pressure are leading the life-saving efforts.
Medical errors: Sixty of 65 hospitals in the state are
participating in a national campaign aimed at avoiding medical
errors and needless deaths by changing the way care is provided.
Nationally, the 100,000 Lives Campaign already has saved 122,300
lives over the past 18 months, according to the Institute for
Healthcare Improvement, the campaign's sponsoring organization.
Infection rates: Meanwhile, the Legislature recently approved a
law, sponsored by Greenville Sen. Ralph Anderson, that will require
hospitals to report their infection rates to the public by 2008.
That mandate will not only help patients make good decisions in
choosing health care but also will put added pressure on hospitals
to improve policies to prevent infection.
Medical errors and infections are serious issues. Every year, an
estimated 98,000 to 195,000 people die from medical errors in U.S.
hospitals. As for infections: At least one in 20 patients -- about 2
million people a year -- contracts an infection in the hospital,
according to Consumers Union. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention reports that about 90,000 of them die.
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Hospitals participating in the 100,000 Lives Campaign agree to
adopt procedures that have been shown to save lives, such as
preventing more serious illness by activating a rapid response team
at the first sign a patient's condition is worsening. Another effort
seeks to prevent medication errors by more closely monitoring
patients. Upstate hospitals participating in the 100,000 Lives
Campaign include Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville
Hospital System, AnMed Health, Palmetto Health Easley and Oconee
Memorial.
Health advocates believe many infections can be avoided. For
instance, procedures such as proper hand washing and the timely
administration of antibiotics can help prevent infection.
A infection reporting system will provide a strong incentive for
hospitals to rigorously follow best practices. The state advisory
committee overseeing the implementation of an infection reporting
system should include consumer and business voices in addition to
those of the medical community. The reporting system should be fair
across the board and easy to understand by health-care consumers.
The 100,000 Lives Campaign and the state's infection reporting
law should contribute meaningfully to reducing needless deaths in
hospitals. |
Greer
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