Healthcare miscommunication cost $1.7B and nearly 2,000 lives

Communication problems were a contributing factor in 7,149 cases (30 percent) of 23,000 medical malpractice claims filed between 2009 and 2013, according to the report, published by research/analysis firm CRICO Strategies. That percentage includes 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in hospital costs, the report found. In addition, 37 percent of all high-severity injury cases involved communication failures.

However, researchers said the statistics they compiled are likely only scratching the surface, as there are likely numerous communication-related patient harms that did not lead to malpractice claims.

Citation for the Full-text Article

Budryk Z. Healthcare miscommunication cost $1.7B--and nearly 2,000 lives. FierceHealthcare. February 1, 2016