Medical errors in Massachusetts harm patients, drive up costs

A new state survey found that nearly 20% of respondents in Massachusetts experienced a recent medical error. The analysis, from the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, also found that there were 61,982 errors in the state in a single year, resulting in $617 million of additional costs associated with follow-up care.

A June 10, 2019 Boston Globe article noted that the prevalence of medical errors reported by Massachusetts residents is similar to that found nationally and has not improved much during the last 20 years.

“I don’t know anybody who thinks we have made massive progress in last two decades,’’ said Ashish Jha, K.T. Li Professor of Global Health and dean for global strategy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “There is a very large unfinished agenda.’’

Read the Boston Globe article: Medical errors prevalent and costly, new survey of Massachusetts residents shows