JBJS | Medical Errors in Orthopaedics: Practical Pointers for Prevention* : An AOA Critical Issue

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Volume 84, Issue 11

The Orthopaedic Forum | November 01, 2002

Medical Errors in Orthopaedics: Practical Pointers for Prevention* : An AOA Critical Issue

David Wong, MD, MSc, FRCS(C); James Herndon, MD; Terry Canale, MD

The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. 2002; 84:2097-2100

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The 1999 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report "To Err is Human" ¹ focused the attention of the public and the media on adverse events occurring during the treatment of patients. Eye-catching newspaper headlines suggested that "at least 44,000" and possibly "as high as 98,000" patients died yearly in the United States as a consequence of "medical errors" ¹ . However, even prior to publication of the IOM report, a number of professional medical associations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA), had recognized the importance of medical errors and had initiated programs to help physicians to foster a culture of patient safety. The IOM report did serve to heighten awareness of patient-safety issues in the minds of both patients and orthopaedic surgeons. Heretofore, prevention of medical errors had been considered a "worthy, but cheerless" matter deserving only limited time and resources in an era of ever-contracting medical finances. In the "To Err is Human" report, the IOM challenged professional medical organizations to make patient safety a priority item in their agendas, implored medical schools to include patient safety as part of their curricula, and urged regulatory agencies to monitor patient-safety data. In addition, patients were encouraged to be proactive in their own care and to be conscious of safety issues.

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medical errors ; institute of medicine (u.s.) ; patient safety ; wrong-site surgery

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These activities have been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

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