Back to Journals » International Journal of General Medicine » Volume 5

The spectrum of medical errors: when patients sue

Authors Kels B, Grant-Kels J

Received 6 May 2012

Accepted for publication 8 June 2012

Published 23 July 2012 Volume 2012:5 Pages 613—619

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S24257

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3



Barry D Kels,1 Jane M Grant-Kels2

1Department of Surgery, 2Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA

Abstract: Inarguably medical errors constitute a serious, dangerous, and expensive problem for the twenty-first-century US health care system. This review examines the incidence, nature, and complexity of alleged medical negligence and medical malpractice. The authors hope this will constitute a road map to medical providers so that they can better understand the present climate and hopefully avoid the “Scylla and Charybdis” of medical errors and medical malpractice. Despite some documented success in reducing medical errors, adverse events and medical errors continue to represent an indelible stain upon the practice, reputation, and success of the US health care industry. In that regard, what may be required to successfully attack the unacceptably high severity and volume of medical errors is a locally directed and organized initiative sponsored by individual health care organizations that is coordinated, supported, and guided by state and federal governmental and nongovernmental agencies.

Keywords: primum non nocere, medical negligence, medical malpractice, Six Sigma

Creative Commons License © 2012 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License. By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.