Policy Analysis: Eliminating Preventable Medical Errors

Policy Analysis Concept Paper: Eliminating Preventable Medical Errors
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Policy Analysis Concept Paper: Eliminating Preventable Medical Errors
Problem Definition Preventable medical errors have remained a persistent public health problem in the United States for decades. According to Thomas et al. (2022), this health problem exerts significant pressure on the healthcare system due to the associated ramifications. Diverse studies conducted since 1999 have revealed the severity of this issue, making a substantial cause of inpatient mortality linked to approximately 100,000 – 200,000 annual cases (Tawfik et al., 2018). The authors also indicate that the prevalence of nonfatal medical errors is almost 10 – 20 times more than the fatal ones and has remained significantly high even with the nation’s ongoing restructuring of healthcare delivery. Tawfik et al. (2018) highlight that although this issue affects all population groups, the inpatient remains the leading victim. In this context, Thomas et al. (2022) report that this faction suffers from the two primary error types, including omission and commission medical mistakes. Thus, this issue has remained a menace that requires appropriate reaction through policy.                Evidence indicates that medical errors correlate to the diminishing quality of healthcare delivery despite advancements in technology and increasing research. For instance, Lind et al. (2020) suggest that poor communication leads to the diverse causes of medical errors in U.S. facilities. The author reveals that disconnected relay of critical details about surgeries and medication can arise from poor coordination protocols and training, making it difficult for professionals to execute their duties effectively. Additional findings by Abdulrahman et al. (2021) present comparable results and hint that systemic related challenges, including overburdening of healthcare workers, trigger burnout that increases the probability of preventable medical errors. In the same context, Lind et al. (2019) reveal that experts blame the medical procedure volumes in U.S. facilities for a significant proportion of these errors. The consequence is that their continued occurrence triggers multifaceted impacts on the patients, including slowing recovery, complicating the original health problem, and pilling care-related costs for managing the emerging issues. Thus, these aspects demand appropriate policy intervention to temper the resultant effects.  Related Policy Environment             The governments and relevant authorities have been exploiting policies and regulations to address the medical errors menace across the U.S. One recently enacted policy is the Safety Considerations for Product Design (Food and Drug Administration, 2016). This policy has been revolutionary because it acknowledges the unexplored influence of wrong medication, under or over the prescription, on the severity of medical errors in the nation. As a result, it introduces various measures in the labeling, inscription, packaging, and electronic references for all drugs. These measures seek to increase the end-users accuracy of prescription and application and eliminate complications associated with medications in healthcare institutions. Other policies such as National Healthcare Acquired Infection and Medical Error Transparency Act and affordable healthcare acts have also addressed this challenge in diverse ways. Evidence indicates that the United States government has enacted various policies to regulate service provision in the healthcare niche. These laws target streamlining the conduct of the professionals, standardizing medical products, and restructuring the financial landscape so that the service remains patient-oriented. The government recognizes that this approach improves care, characterized by minimal medical errors. Three Relevant Current Policies Affecting Elimination of Preventable Medical Errors National Healthcare Acquired Infection and Medical Error Transparency Act             Representative Gabbard Tulsi recently introduced this policy or bill to congress to amend the public health service Act and create changes that promote increased safety in healthcare provision. The law recognizes that despite the existing regulations governing diverse aspects of healthcare, medical errors remain a significant issue of concern, considering the mortality and morbidity rates associated with the problem (National Healthcare Acquired Infection and Medical Error Transparency Act, 2020). As a result, the proper of this policy sought to introduce progressive approaches to addressing the issue. It acknowledges that loopholes exist in implementing prevention strategies, leading to the persistent nature of medical errors across the United State’s facilities.             In this case, H. R. 9037 highlights that unclarity exists in the definitions of concepts within healthcare. It also uncovers the implementation, collaboration, and other workforce-related drawbacks that lead to staggering statistics, including the awareness that medical errors cause mortality rates of up to 250000 Americans yearly. It also reveals that one out of every 31 hospitalized patients suffers from healthcare-related infections, underlining the seriousness of the situation. As a result, the policy is relevant because it seeks to develop standardized procedures for adoption by all states to regularly provide relevant reports that indicate hospital-acquired illnesses and disclose any related medical errors for comprehensive recording. The relevant stakeholders should continuously use these data for trend analysis to uncover the feasible practices that would eliminate any medical errors and provide mechanisms for patients to access details of injuries arising from such errors, malpractice, or negligence.             This regulation is critical for changing the trajectory of medical errors in the nation because of its anchorage on laws. Effecting it will make healthcare providers understand that they remain responsible for the medical errors arising in their practice. As a result, this awareness would motivate them to become more vigilant and safety-minded while delivering various healthcare services to their patients. They would also collaborate to avert mistakes during shift transitions by establishing appropriate protocols after analyzing regularly reported medical errors data. Since the policy also incorporates the integration of a robust patient safety taxonomy standardized to facilitate seamless reporting of patient information, it would equip healthcare providers with increased understanding of their patients, sharpening the accuracy of services and medication application. Thus, the policy promises to further contribute to eliminating medical errors. Affordable Care Act of 2010             Although the concept of the affordable healthcare act or the Obamacare health-related policy did not directly target medical errors, its implementation induced changes that had far-reaching implications in this area. Evidence presented by Cohn (2015) indicates that the financing options and insurance restructuring triggered by the policy created a scenario where financial motivations in the healthcare industry changed for the benefit of the patients. Rather than viewing patients as a source of revenue through the treatment, the focus changed to optimum utilization of fe...