Hoosier State Breaks Its Preventable Medical Errors Record

WFIU | By Alexander McCall

Published June 30, 2020 at 5:06 PM EDT

For the second year in a row, Indiana broke its record for preventable medical errors.

According to figures from the Indiana State Department of Health, there was a total of 114 events reported in 2014. That's up from 111 events in 2013 and 107 events in 2010.

The state has been collecting reports — it's mandatory for medical facilities to report these events — of preventable medical errors since August 2007.

These were the most reported medical errors:

Stage three or four pressure ulcers, which are also known as bed sores — 44 reports

Retention of a foreign object in a patient after surgery — 27 reports

Surgery performed on the wrong body part — 21 reports

Death or serious disability associated with a fall — 10 reports

Out of 287 facilities required to report, 57 reported at least one event. All the events occurred either at a hospital or an ambulatory surgery center.

ISDH data shows the IU Health network accounted for nine of the total 114 reported events.

Take a look at the table below for a breakdown of area hospitals' numbers.