More than 1 in surgical patients has complications, study finds, and many are the result of medical errors

A new study shows that hospitals have not made much progress in the field of patient safety.

Despite decades of emphasis on the importance of patient safety in hospitals, people undergoing surgery still face high rates of complications and medical errors.

According to the study, more than one-third of patients who come to the hospital for surgery experience complications related to their care, and at least one-fifth of these complications are caused by medical errors.

Studies of complications and medical errors in hospital settings are rare and each one uses different methods, so the results are not always comparable. But the new study, published Thursday in the journal BMJ, shows a similar pattern to previous studies that show little progress has been made.

**Continuous problems in patient safety**
"It's really sad," said Helen Haskell, a patient safety specialist and advocate who turned to the field after her 15-year-old son, Louis Blackman, died of complications from surgery. He emphasized that harms associated with medical care continue and that these problems are not taken seriously enough.

In the new study, researchers from Harvard University attempted to replicate the exact methods of a 1980s study that was one of the first studies of patient injury rates. But the findings showed that safety issues persist and have even worsened in some cases.

**results of the new study**
This study examined the outcomes of 1,009 surgical patients at 11 Massachusetts hospitals in 2018. Of these, 38% experienced at least one surgery-related complication. Of these complications, about half were serious or life-threatening.

More than 250 patients, a quarter, had at least one complication that was judged to be "probably preventable." Also, 10% of the complications were determined to be caused by medical errors.

**Challenges and recommendations**
The study showed that older patients and people undergoing complex surgeries such as heart and lung operations are more prone to complications. These complications usually occur outside the operating room, for example, during hospitalization.

Researchers emphasize that reducing surgical complications requires the efforts of hospitals and doctors. Patients are also advised to know their medication information and bring someone for support with them to the hospital.

The study also had limitations, including that it only included hospitals in Massachusetts, and the results may not be the same in other states. But the researchers hope that these results will create a renewed focus on patient safety.

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