if you ever need surgery, like major surgery, request a da vinci robot. Not only will your chances of survival become 99,99999%, you also won't have visual scars after a month or two. It uses a pinpointed laser and goes exactly where it needs to go, then gets the fuck out asap and seals you back up. It's like the thing in Prometheus, except a bit less complicated.
I once wrote a 10 page essay that involved it... it just makes so much practical sense i got physically angry they don't have them everywhere
edit: everywhere as in every hospital.
This is a HIGHLY Dubious and highly contested statistic. Media is errors happen. They happen too often- but let’s put this in context. In 2010, about 715,000 in patient hospital deaths were recorded. If this statistic is true- you’d basically have a 30% chance that if you died in a hospital- it was due to error. If that were true- and records proved that 30% of hospital deaths were medical errors- where are the corresponding suits? Even if a family didn’t find out- you don’t think that any lawyer with a love of money wouldn’t be watching hospital records like a Hawk and pouncing on every single wrongful death or brining class actions up of ONE THIRD of hospital deaths were from error?
The original study that subsequent studies were based on showed 400,000 deaths in 1999 from error. In 2000 there were about 750,000 in patient US hospital deaths. So more than HALF of those people were killed by mistake and you’re only hearing about this now? No riots, no protests, no politician…
… making it to office on the very bipartisan supportable “I’m gonna change the law so hospitals aren’t killing half of the people who die there?” So basically- there have been a few studies over the years really starting with that 1999 one I mentioned. A few of these weren’t even “studies.” Just some folks taking data and making assumptions. But the actual studies were targeted- so for example- one study was conducted in New York and was based off disabled welfare or social security recipients over 65 with pre existing conditions. Another study was on terminally ill people in a single hospital unit who had prognoses of less than 3 months to live. Am I saying such high numbers are ok because those people were probably going to die anyway? No. I am saying that what most media and many of these “study” authors did is take numbers that apply to one place at one time and a very particular set of circumstances and then basically said: “yeah- it’s probably the same everywhere for everyone..”
This is hugely flawed scientifically- but even intuitively. So medical professionals are supposed to help everyone the same no matter what- but they’re human. Some might, but do you think that staff might put in more effort, that there might be more spirit behind saving a baby or a small child who was in an accident for saving the life of a rapist that shot themselves in the head after killing a family of 3? And sad but true- if you’re dying, especially you’re like 80 and dying- plenty of medical personnel aren’t going to put the same effort in for you as an otherwise healthy 12 or 18 year old who has a life ahead of them. I’m not defending it- I’m not defending the fact that better insurance or celebrity status might get you better treatment or see a hospital go the “extra mile” or make exceptions- but you will get very different care at Cedar Sinai than perhaps a general hospital in a projects neighborhood. You can’t do a study at the “best” most well funded…
… hospitals in the world and say: “meh. It’s probably the same in Detroit or East LA.” That’s like going to the airport in Paris and deciding the whole city must be about the same, or going to the Hollywood hills and deciding that every house in California is like that. Now, in the UK they estimate about 4% of hospital deaths are caused by error, and more recent US studies using newer algorithms and accounting for discrepancies in data and population estimates about 7%. If we pretend those are conservative estimates, they’d have to be VERY conservative for us to see THIRTY PERCENT TO OVER FIFTY PERCENT. While the 30-50+ percent numbers get a lot of press- if you look they all tend to quote the same sparse handful of often 20+ year old information to come to this conclusion or use vague language like “a recent study…” by whom? What study? Be skeptical of this one- but do know errors happen and too often.
they do, that is why nearly every surgeon has liability coverage, which can cost them 150-200k a year, which increases the price for everyone else. It's fucking stupid.
Dammit, I need more sleep
edit: everywhere as in every hospital.
The original study that subsequent studies were based on showed 400,000 deaths in 1999 from error. In 2000 there were about 750,000 in patient US hospital deaths. So more than HALF of those people were killed by mistake and you’re only hearing about this now? No riots, no protests, no politician…