Workers inevitably make mistakes while at work regardless of one's profession. Most would agree however that those made by individuals working in the medical field are particularly dangerous. Due to their very nature they may result in serious injury or death. While it is often impossible to undo a medical mistake, one can learn from it so as to not make it again.

Medicare's Inspector General released a report this week on how well hospitals participating in Medicare throughout the nation are doing when it comes to tracking and reporting mistakes considered serious. Apparently there is a lot of room for improvement. According to the report, serious errors numbering in the hundreds are not reported to the national agencies responsible for approving hospital's relationship with Medicare.

The report focused specifically on errors considered to be "immediate jeopardy complaints." Included in these errors are performing surgeries on wrong patients, leaving instruments inside a patient during surgery and surgical fires. It also takes into consideration sexual assault and suicide committed by patients.

Under the current process, hospitals are supposed to report errors to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).This check is supposed to allow Medicare to determine if the mistake has been corrected. The corrective action the hospital either takes or decides to not take will help determine whether it will continue to work with Medicare.

The study showed the system in place it s not working the way it was intended. Of the sample investigated in the report, around a third, or 28 out of a total of 88 error s were reported to CMS. Medicare's Inspector General and a Medicare Administrator are hoping that a program, that is new called Partnership for Patients, will address the current issues with reporting.

Source: USA Today, "Medicare report: Improve tracking of serious hospital errors," Kelly Kennedy, Nov. 1, 2011