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Avoiding Medical Mistakes: Advice from Experts

PROGRAM DETAILS:

About one hundred-thousand people die a year in America from preventable medical errors. What can you, the consumer, do to make sure it doesn’t happen to you? In this program, Dr. Allen Wyler talks about how to lower your risk of suffering from a serious medical error. Dr. Wyler is a neurosurgeon and author of the book “Deadly Errors.” Also joining the program is Julie Duncan, a nurse and Director of the Center for Clinical Excellence at the University of Washington Medical Center.

According to Ms. Duncan, good communication can save your life. She discusses the importance of having a family member or a friend with you during a hospital stay, and getting help keeping track of your medications. Ms. Duncan gives a nurse’s perspective on how to get the best care, and how to seek better care when you feel things could be wrong. She offers a list of six tips to prevent medical errors from happening to you.

Dr. Wyler explains how an antiquated system can make it easy for good doctors or pharmacists to make errors. He gives examples of things doctors should be doing to ensure they operate properly; if they don’t, patients should ask why. Dr. Wyler offers a doctor’s perspective on how to approach your doctor with questions or concerns, and how to find reliable information on the internet or from other sources. He and Ms. Duncan both discuss how healthcare providers are working to ensure patient safety, and what your doctors should be doing.

Host Andrew Schorr, a leukemia survivor, shares stories of friends who have suffered from medical mistakes. From pharmacists filling prescriptions incorrectly to surgeons operating on the wrong organ – medical mistakes do occur. Doctors work in complex environments; it’s important to slow down, ask questions and have an advocate. Listen now to learn how to be a smarter patient.

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EXPERTS & GUESTS:
Allen Wyler, M.D.
Author, Neurosurgeon and Medical Director, Northstar Neurosciences
Dr. Allen Wyler is a Neurosurgeon and Medical Director of Northstar Neurosciences in Seattle, Washington. He is the Author of the book Deadly Errors and has published over 200 journal articles, book chapters, and academic texts devoted to the clinical practice of neurosurgery as well as basic science. Dr. Wyler received his medical degree from the University of Washington in... more >

Julie Duncan,
Director, Department of Quality Improvement, UW Medicine
Director, Department of Quality Improvement University of Washington Medical Center more >

TRANSCRIPT:

  1. Introduction
  2. Medical Errors and Mistakes
  3. Tips for Preventing Medical Errors
  4. UW Medicine's Steps to Reduce Mistakes
  5. Listener Questions

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