The last time we had exact figures about how many people die each year due to medical mistakes or medication errors in this country may have been in 1999 when the Institute of Medicine reported that 98,000 Americans were falling victim to these errors.

Today, it is harder to find statistics like these because states do not have to follow the same guidelines when it comes to reporting medical mistakes. However, estimates put the figure at about 200,000 Americans each year–meaning medical mistakes may be a leading cause of death in this country. This information may be hard for many Pennsylvania residents to swallow, but luckily, there are some theories as to how the nation can cut back on these mistakes.

Some say that the rise in fatal medical mistakes has arisen out of the increasing popularity of defensive medicine. Defensive medicine refers to doctors ordering procedures, tests and prescriptions that may not be based on a legitimate need; they are rather meant to protect the doctor or hospital from missing a diagnosis or problem. But, it may be having the reverse effect.

Each time a doctor orders multiple prescriptions, tests or procedures, the chances of a mistake happening increases.

In order to prevent defensive medicine from getting in the way of good medicine, one New York Times Medical columnist has suggested that more policies are put in place at medical facilities in order to monitor these things. Additionally, the writer says doctors need to remember that more is not always better.

At Johns Hopkins, a checklist has been implemented in order to bring down hospital infections. At many medical facilities, there are also strict rules against disturbing nurses when they are dispensing medications. There are also policies that help empower nurses to confront and correct doctors about their mistakes.

Policies like these are often developed when doctors and hospitals realize that unnecessary risks exist in their treatment models. In order to recognize these risks and hold themselves accountable, medical professionals should admit and discuss their mistakes.

Patients who have been harmed by medical mistakes or medication errors can also seek to hold a medical provider accountable as well as receive compensation for damages by contacting a reputable medical malpractice attorney.

Source: The New York Times, "More Treatment, More Mistakes," Sanjay Gupta, July 31 2012