Public Citizen Highlights Steps for Saving Lives and Money

Public Citizen recently released a report laying out patient safety reforms that could save the nation thousands of lives and billions of dollars. Read the report on the Public Citizen website (pdf). The report lists 10 reforms, with associated estimates of lives and dollars saved, and 5 steps to ensure adoption of these reforms. It estimates that implementation would save 85,000 lives and $35 billion per year.

The 10 reforms are:

1. Use a checklist to reduce surgical complications and deaths;
2. Use best practices to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia;
3. Use best practices to prevent pressure ulcers;
4. Implement safeguards and quality control measures to reduce medication errors;
5. Use best practices to prevent patient falls in health care facilities;
6. Use a checklist to prevent catheter infections;
7. Increase nurse staffing;
8. Permit standing orders to increase flu and pneumonia vaccinations in the elderly;
9. Use beta-blockers after heart attacks;
10. Increase use of advanced care planning.

Health Care For All and the Consumer Health Quality Council (www.hcfama.org/consumercouncil) are advocating for legislation to require the use of both checklists mentioned in the above list in all hospitals in Massachusetts. The Public Citizen report estimates that if both checklists are used across the U.S., the savings would be more than $21 billion per year. Lives saved from the use of the catheter infection checklist alone would total more than 15,000. The report did not estimate lives saved from the surgical checklist but a study of the checklist published earlier this year saw deaths reduced by about 50%. Medication errors are also listed above, and HCFA and the Consumer Council are also advocating for a bill seeking to reduce such errors in the Commonwealth.

The report lays out 5 steps that the federal government and Congress should take to ensure adoption of these 10 reforms. The suggestions include implementing a national system for mandatory public reporting of adverse medical events. Such a system has started in Massachusetts thanks to the advocacy efforts of HCFA and the Consumer Council, among others. The Public Citizen report provides much food for thought as national health reform is being discussed.
-Deborah W. Wachenheim