A Broader Concept of Medical Errors

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Abstract
No one disputes the goal — a health care system that can reliably provide high-quality care with minimal waste to all in need. Disagreement begins with the question of which problems are most urgent. Some cite inequities in access to care; others emphasize gaps in quality that transcend race, sex, and social class.1,2 Employers bemoan the rising costs of health care,3 whereas the press and health care leaders are appalled by the 44,000 to 98,000 deaths per year that, according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), may be caused by medical errors.4 The accuracy and implications of these estimates . . .