Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7456.58

BMJ 2004;329:58 (3 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7456.58

reviews

Book

Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

As with so many before them, Wachter and Shojania, practisingdoctors in the United States, start their book with a prologueoutlining their own involvement in patient safety issues. Itseems that everyone must undergo a public catharsis before theyare able to talk about safety and harm. It was thus, with thisformulaic confession, that I was immediately put off this book,assuming that it would not add much to the safety literature.However, as soon as I realised that this book was not for peoplelike me—safety junkies—or even directed at clinicianswithout a special interest in the field, but for patients, myinterest was rekindled.

Rugged Land, $24.95/$C36.95, pp320 ISBN 1 59071 016 9 www.ruggedland.com

Rating: $*$ $*$ $*$

How would the authors explain this complex field to patients?Rather well in my opinion. Overall they capture the difficultissues involved, including the often conflicting dilemmas facingthose working . . . [Full text of this article]

Tim Wilson, general practitioner and policy analyst

strategy unit, Department of Health Tim.Wilson@doh.gsi.gov.uk