Although Americans have developed a better understanding of medical errors over the past two years, they haven’t made gains in using quality data to make decisions about their care. According to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 55% of Americans said they understand what the term “medical error” means, up from 43% in 2004 and 31% in 2002. Also, 43% said they believe preventable medical errors occur somewhat or very often.
However, 36% of those polled said they’ve seen information that compares the quality of care from health plans, physicians, and hospitals, but only 20% say they’ve used it to make healthcare decisions. These numbers are unchanged from the previous survey, conducted in 2004. The newest poll, a telephone survey of 1,216 adults conducted in early August, showed that Americans take some measures to reduce errors and improve coordination of care. For example, 70% said they check medication they get from a pharmacist against their physician’s prescription, 54% said they bring a list of their medications to a physician appointment, and 45% bring a friend or relative to help ask questions during a physician appointment.
Attend HFMA's Nov. 2 audio webcast, "Safety Data in Action: Mitigating Risk, Improving Quality, and Getting Paid for It."
