News / Profession

IQ -- Interesting Quotes

Dynamic Chiropractic Staff

Medical Casualties

The number of iatrogenic casualties in the U.S. each year has been estimated between 150,000 and 200,000.1 An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association places the figure at 180,000 deaths per year.2 In his book Deadly Medicine, investigative reporter Thomas Moore states that "medical mistakes in United States hospitals kill 168,000 persons each year."1

Author Moore explains the ramifications of medical negligence:

"The Harvard study concluded that 51 percent of the deaths from adverse events occurred through medical negligence, and therefore could have been prevented. Thus, preventable deaths from medical negligence in hospitals total 86,000 a year, easily outnumbering annual deaths from auto accidents (48,000) and murder (26,000). Among hospital deaths from medical mistakes, adverse reactions to prescription drugs were the most common cause."
What percentage of the American public is aware of these figures? If this information was common knowledge, it would certainly influence health care decisions in this country.

References

  1. Moore T. Deadly Medicine. Simon & Schuster, 1995.

     

  2. Leape LL. Error in medicine. JAMA 1994;272:1851-1857.
June 1995
print pdf
Trending
News / Profession
NBCE-FCLB Merger Approved
NBCE-FCLB Merger Approved

The proposed merger of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards was approved by NBCE delegates and FCLB members at their respective annual meetings, held jointly in Atlanta, Ga., this year. Per the new bylaws, the new entity takes the NBCE name, with FCLB continuing as a department within NBCE. The federation will continue to enjoy Board of Directors representation on what will be a single, expanded board.

 |  Digital Exclusive
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Diagnosis & Diagnostic Equip
When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series (Pt. 3)
When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy

Before introducing subscapularis syndrome as an upper extremity analog, it is essential to revisit piriformis syndrome as a well-established example of myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy. Piriformis syndrome has long served as a clinical exception to disc-centric models of lower extremity pain and provides an important framework for understanding how deep muscular dysfunction can mimic radiculopathy in the absence of nerve root compression.

Ken Kaufman, DC
Healthcare / Public Health
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics

Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.

Christopher Proulx, DC, PhD(ABD), CSCS