Intended for healthcare professionals

News

Clinton acts to reduce medical mistakes

BMJ 2000; 320 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7235.597 (Published 04 March 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;320:597
  1. Fred Charatan
  1. Florida

    President Clinton has called for a nationwide system of reporting medical errors in the wake of last year's Institute of Medicine report, which found that between 44000 and 98000 Americans die each year from medical mistakes.

    More than 6000 hospitals will be required to introduce programmes to reduce medical errors—for example, in the prescribing and dispensing of drugs—as a condition of participating in Medicare, the federal health insurance programme for those aged over 65.

    Mr Clinton's plan will also require all 50 states to adopt error reporting systems, to be triggered whenever …

    View Full Text

    Log in

    Log in through your institution

    Subscribe

    * For online subscription