On May 10th, 2016 Can this possibly be true?

Medical Errors May be the 3rd Leading Cause of Death in the United States!

Hey there again, friends, Dr. Chris here sharing some thoughts regarding a recent CNN article that came out earlier this month regarding medical errors.

I think many people would be shocked to learn that recent estimates suggest that over 250,000 people per year are dying here in the United States due to medical errors.  Most alarming is that research supporting this claim also suggests that many of the medical errors are simply due to logistical problems such as inventory, barcode, and medicine tracking short comings.  Let me state this again, over 250,000 people potentially dying in arguably the world’s finest hospitals due to preventable errors. This number breaks down to over 685 lives everyday dying from potentially preventable causes. 

Let me also state that I am not one of those crazy chiropractors that believes you should never go to your medical doctor.  That could not be any further from the truth.  As most of you already know, my team consists of chiropractors, medical doctors, massage therapists and registered chiropractic assistants.  Most certainly, I would be the first to refer a patient out for necessary and timely medical evaluation and treatment recommendations.

That said, the point of sharing this CNN article is highlight how imperative it is to be an advocate for a loved one that winds up in the hospital.  Just last year my family and I spent several weeks in the hospital overseeing the care of a dear family member. On multiple occasions the well intention staff, being overburdened with multiple patients and extreme responsibility, nearly made significant errors that could have been critical.  Had we not been there to ask questions and to seek additional medical staff to help, perhaps he too would have become a contributor to this statistic.

I strongly encourage you to click on the link below and read the results of this CNN article.  My hope is this will empower you to be an empowered patient and an attentive patient advocate when that time comes for you.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/03/health/medical-error-a-leading-cause-of-death/index.html

Nobody will ever care for you greater than a family member.  Despite the best intentions of our medical professionals, sometimes errors occur. Please be an advocate for your loved ones and take the time to learn how you can help prevent someone you deeply care for from becoming a medical error statistic. 

As always, I encourage you to be happy, healthy, and well.  Make today and this week your best ever.

Christopher B. Renne, DC

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com

Serving Metropolitan Jacksonville, Florida since 2000.