The Number of American Deaths Due to Hospital Acquired Conditions

According to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 50,000 deaths were averted between 2011-2013 as a result of reductions in hospital-acquired conditions. This decrease in mortality saved the healthcare system approximately $12 billion in health care costs.

The greatest improvement was the 40% reduction in the number of mistakes that hospitals make with a patient’s drugs. This includes being given too much medicine, a drug that the patient was allergic to, or even being given the wrong drug.

Source 1: Christensen, J. (2014, December 3). Fewer hospital mistakes save thousands of lives – CNN.com. Retrieved April 9, 2015.

Source 2: Healthcare 411. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015.

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