Of 6.3 million measurable medical injuries, approximately 1.5 million were associated with a medical error. The total cost per error was estimated to be approximately $13,000, resulting in a total cost to the United States economy of $19.5 billion in 2008.
Eighty-seven percent, or $17 billion, of that amount is due to medical costs of providing inpatient, outpatient and prescription drug services to individuals who were affected by the medical errors.
An additional $1.4 billion of the total amount was due to indirect costs of increased mortality rates, and another $1.1 billion was related to lost productivity due to short-term disability claims.
Read the SOA data on The Economic Measurement of Medical Errors (pdf).
Read other coverage about healthcare quality:
– Thomson Reuters Study: Faith-Based Health Systems Deliver Better Patient Care
– APIC Selected to Lead Pennsylvania Infection Prevention Programs
– Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital Implements Talking Prescription Boxes to Improve Patient Safety
