To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System

Even though printed in 2000, it is a wonderful resource. The only data I know needing updating is the number of people harmed, maimed and/or killed under medical care. Instead of 3 million falling victim, in 2016 the number had grown to 8.8 million -- nearly 25% of patients. Consumer Reports (May 2018) states 440,000 people die every year due to hospital error, like two jumbo jets going down every day! But because people die one at a time, it makes no headlines! I came upon this book when a loved one was sent to an early grave by sloppy behavior in a hospital. The title To Err Is Human is misleading, to me, because the book doesn't pull any punches when discussing causes for a breakdown in care. No one expects perfection, but I vociferously object to medical people being treated like a protected class, as well as the fact that "mistakes" are not brought out into the light so the other people can examine them and learn from. It's all about lawsuits. Women, children and old people who are victims -- their families generally cannot find a lawyer to take the case because not lucrative enough as far as future income. There could be middle ground but medical people are dug in. I also recommend Killer Care by Lieber, and What Doctors Cannot Tell You by Jones. Our medical system is so out of whack I'm not sure we can ever make it responsible. I've since learned about Dr. E. A. Codman (1869-1940) who was the progenitor of The Joint Commission, the entity that accredits hospitals. He believed in the End Result Idea where drs do follow ups to see if their treatment was successful and then report on it. We need a grassroots group, like MADD, to bring all this to the forefront. Congress needs a good cause and this is it. See IHI and PSAN -- two groups that I hope will be more than talking and venting.

The IOH, Institute of Health, published two exhaustive reports on healthcare: To Err is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm. They are dry, academic, ponderous and difficult to read. However they are two of the most important books written about healthcare in the United States and mandatory reading for anyone in the field of medicine. Virtually every other book on improving healthcare quotes or uses the research from these two books.Healthcare is under a radical transformation based on enormous economic and demand pressures. In order to be successful we have to understand the system, warts and all. We have to have solutions based on empirical peer reviewed data. These IOH reports do just that. While they may seem dated and many of the initiatives advocated by these books are well underway, these books remain 'bibles' of a sort for understanding the US medical system. I strongly recommend reading this books because so much of the current reform, language, and subsequent published literature is based on these two reports.I recently attended a training by Intermountain Healthcare in UT - the hospital system discussed during the election debates. The CFO quoted from these books. That is just one illustration of how influential and important these books are. Even if you don't work in medicine these books will help you manage and direct your own care. Read also "Overtreated" by Shannon Brownlee, which also uses IOH data and research.Not easy reads but few important reads are.

To Err is Human is over decade old, but represents the cornerstone of patient safety in the American healthcare system! Even today, I still reference this book.

Required college text. It is good but I much prefer the book by Johnathan Bush.

It's an old work but the first great step for quality assurance in health. Every one who want to work in this matter must read it

Well written. Classic. Patient Safety. Required for my MS degree classes.

Very factual and east to understand.

Interesting info for healthcare professionals

One of the best books in this Topic. Clear, interesting and very good to read

Texto clásico en el tema y muy conocido por los profesionales. Indispensable para introducirte en el tema de la calidad y los eventos adversos en el ámbito sanitario y fundamentalmente hospitalario.