Kathleen O’Connor, health care industry analyst and journalist, founded
CodeBlueNow! upon the belief that the public has a right to be involved
in creating its own health care policy. Involved in healthcare for 30 years, she
shares her unique ability to communicate current health care topics in
a language everyone can understand.Document Actions
Scary Stats on Infections and Cost
This missive was originally posted on 10/05/2007
Here are some scary statistics: studies have shown that 100,000 people die in hospitals every year from preventable medical errors. In Pennsylvania alone, the Governor's Office estimates that 2,500 people died from hospital staph infections in 2005 and another 20,000 people were infected but lived. Those with infections stayed in the hospital twice as long to cure the infection, to the tune of $3.5 billion. They estimate they are spending $8 billion/year in avoidable health care costs.
California estimates it has 23,000 deaths per year from hospital infections for an annual cost of $4 billion dollars.
Coming up next week: The CodeBlueNow! Dispatch, with a story on what is happening in California as well as what a patient-centered health care system could look like.
Cheers and more later. Kathleen
