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

by WACHTER, ROBERT M.SHOJANIA, KAVEH

• ISBN13: 9781590710166
• ISBN10: 1590710169
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-02-07
• Publisher: Rugged Land

Summary

""Internal Bleeding is utterly compelling. Dramatic and unflinching, it gives us both the stories of what really happens when things go wrong in medicine and the research that explains what needs to be done. The writing is clear. The ideas are startling. And the tale is important. Wachter and Shojania have written a book that matters." -Atul Gawande, bestselling author of "Complications ""Internal Bleeding is ER meets "Fast Food Nation. By pulling back the curtain to show us the hidden world of doctors and nurses, it paints a remarkable and unforgettable picture of how medical mistakes happen, and what must be done to cure this modern epidemic. It is a fascinating and essential read for both patients and medical professionals." --David Kessler, M.D., J.D., Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, 1990-1997. "The authors have achieved something quite special. The lay reader will journey inside the complex world of medical care today and gain an understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and humanity behind the headlines about medical errors. For any healthcare professional laboring every day to make what they do for patients better and safer, this book is invaluable. It is full of insights, learning and guidance that will help them create and keep the 'culture of safety' that hospitals must achieve for patients in spite of shrinking resources and increasingly complex technology. Read this book." --Dick Davidson, President, American Hospital Association "Health care could be far, far safer than it is today, but not without widespread public understanding of the nature and extent of its risks. Which brings us to "Internal Bleeding-a disciplined, vivid, responsible, and appropriately disturbing exploration of the problems, and the possibilities, in patient safety. Read it, and then demand-and expect-a safer health care system." --Don Berwick, M.D., President, Institute for H

Author Biography

Robert M. Wachter is professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is chief of the Medical Service at UCSF Medical Center.

Table of Contents

A New Epidemic	13	(16)
PART I: THE SYSTEM
The Wrong Patient	29	(14)
It's the System, Stupid	43	(12)
Jumbo Jets Crashing	55	(12)
PART II: THE ERRORS OF OUR WAY
Doctors' Handwriting and Other Prescribing Errors	67	(16)
The Forgotten Half of Medication Errors	83	(16)
Solving the Riddle	99	(22)
Of Life and Limb	121	(14)
Did We Forget Something?	135	(6)
Practice Makes Perfect	141	(18)
Handoffs and Fumbles	159	(22)
See One, Do One, Teach One	181	(28)
Hubris and Teamwork	209	(24)
The Other End of the Stethoscope	233	(18)
PART III: CONSEQUENCES
Spilling the Beans	251	(22)
Whether Reports?	273	(20)
Malpractice	293	(22)
Accountability	315	(14)
PART IV: CURES
Attacking a New Disease	329	(8)
What Can Policymakers Do?	337	(10)
A Culture of Safety	347	(8)
A System of Safety	355	(8)
What Can Patients Do?	363	(6)
Closing Thoughts	369	(3)
Bibliography	372	(6)
Appendix I: List of The Seventeen Individual Errors in the Wrong Patient Case	378	(2)
Appendix II: Dangerous Abbreviations Used in Prescribing	380	(2)
Appendix III: Examples of Easily Confused Sound-Alike or Look-Alike Drugs	382	(1)
Appendix IV: Questions You May Want to Ask Your Hospital, Medical Group, or Doctor, Along With Some Comments by the Authors	383	(7)
Endnotes	390	(39)
Index	429	(10)
Acknowledgments	439