Surgical errors in CT hospitals climbed in 2013

A new analysis by C-HIT found that adverse events (serious medical errors) in CT hospitals were up significantly in 2013, more than double the year before. The greatest increases were for foreign objects left in bodies and perforations during surgery. Deaths, serious falls, serious medication errors, and surgeries on the wrong body part all increased as well. New Milford, Danbury, and Day Kimball Hospitals had the highest error rates adjusted for patient volume. Charlotte Hungerford, Backus, and CCMC had the lowest rates. DPH’s report is careful to note that the increase may be due to better reporting.  Click here for DPH’s full adverse event report including hospitals’ patient safety plans to improve quality and reduce errors.