Did you know that there is more than 4,000 surgical errors (in the study 4044) in a year in the U.S?
(see: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254426.php)
What do you think about this number?
High?
Low?
How about when I say that there is about 50 million surgeries a year in the United States (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/inpatient-surgery.htm).
4000/50000000=0.00008=.008%
The error rate in a mechanized factory is so called 6 sigma (0.00034% error rate).
So the US surgeon has about 5.5 sigma rate, which is pretty awesome for a human done service.
80 errors per million.
Would I want to be the 80? No.
But, what do we expect?
How much error do you make in your work? And are we going to unreasonable to expect that from a surgeon?
Well, it will be better if the error rate reduces.
Less problems, death, and crisis.
It will be a type of crisis management I would say.
Can it become better?
Sure!
By the way:
"They estimate that at least 39 times a week a surgeon leaves foreign objects inside their patients, which includes stuff like towels or sponges. In addition surgeons performing the wrong surgery or operating on the wrong body part occurs around 20 times a week (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/254426.php)."
Doctor's work are very stressful. It is very time sensitive and they are responsible for another person's life!
However, how about if the information they were given were wrong?
They haven't had a sleep for the past 36 hours because of their work?
Or the resources they needed was just not given to them? (time, correct tools, etc.)
The bottom line of today's post is that for everyone to remember that:
1) Don't react to the big number posted, it may be not as bad to comparison of a global standard
2) The person taking the action (surgeon) may not be the cause of the problem
3) No joke but don't get sick or get in an accident at night or during holidays (see: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/the-worst-time-to-have-surgery/309393/)
(see: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254426.php)
What do you think about this number?
High?
Low?
How about when I say that there is about 50 million surgeries a year in the United States (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/inpatient-surgery.htm).
4000/50000000=0.00008=.008%
The error rate in a mechanized factory is so called 6 sigma (0.00034% error rate).
So the US surgeon has about 5.5 sigma rate, which is pretty awesome for a human done service.
80 errors per million.
Would I want to be the 80? No.
But, what do we expect?
How much error do you make in your work? And are we going to unreasonable to expect that from a surgeon?
Well, it will be better if the error rate reduces.
Less problems, death, and crisis.
It will be a type of crisis management I would say.
Can it become better?
Sure!
By the way:
"They estimate that at least 39 times a week a surgeon leaves foreign objects inside their patients, which includes stuff like towels or sponges. In addition surgeons performing the wrong surgery or operating on the wrong body part occurs around 20 times a week (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/254426.php)."
So, 4044/52weeks= about 78 errors a week. Out of the 78; 39+20=59 errors apparently are preventable. Which if we do prevent this, 78-59= only 19 errors a week!
Which will reduce the yearly error rate to 988; an amazing 0.002% error rate.
Still higher than the six sigma standard, but hey, John Hopkins says you can prevent these why won't we? And it is my hallucination that preventing leaving towels and sponges in the body, operating wrong surgery or on wrong body parts cannot be that hard to prevent right?
Hmmmmmm but why does it happen?
These are probably experienced, at least highly intelligent, kind hearted people!
And becoming a medical doctor means, you weren't allowed to make mistakes and was told to be "perfect" verbally or nonverbally.
So, it is not the intention of any doctors to leave objects or operate a wrong surgery.
Then, the question becomes outside of that doctor.
Ohhhhh I know you wanted to BLAME the doctors but YOU CAN'T.
We always need to look at the bigger picture.
However, how about if the information they were given were wrong?
They haven't had a sleep for the past 36 hours because of their work?
Or the resources they needed was just not given to them? (time, correct tools, etc.)
The bottom line of today's post is that for everyone to remember that:
1) Don't react to the big number posted, it may be not as bad to comparison of a global standard
2) The person taking the action (surgeon) may not be the cause of the problem
3) No joke but don't get sick or get in an accident at night or during holidays (see: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/the-worst-time-to-have-surgery/309393/)
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