Many older Americans experience preventable harm when hospitalized

A recent report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that one in four Medicare patients treated in a hospital experienced patient harm. And a whopping 43 percent of that harm was preventable. What does that mean? Additional unnecessary pain and suffering for patients and added costs in care and treatment for about one fourth of those harmed patients. The OIG report estimated these preventable harms cost Medicare “hundreds of millions of dollars” and likely cost the patients themselves in additional out-of-pocket costs. That’s why the government needs to stay ever vigilant in inspecting and reporting on patient safety events in our hospitals. In June, we sent comments to the federal government to urge just that. 

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