Indiana now requires its hospitals to report medical errors to the public in an effort to improve patient safety. The rule adopted by Indiana’s state department of health finalizes the hospital reporting requirement that began in January, reports The Indianapolis Star. Once a hospital or surgery center admits fault for one of 27 mistakes, it must disclose the error to the public within 15 days. The list of errors that must be reported includes surgery on the wrong body part, incorrect medication doses, contaminated drugs or devices, and sexual assault on patients. Hospital error reports will be excluded from evidence in any litigation arising from such incidents, however. Since January, Indiana hospitals have reported fewer than 100 errors.
