New Hampshire Hospitals Will Be Required to Report Mistakes

It’s taken some time, but New Hampshire will require hospitals to report medical errors and avoidable mistakes to the public. The logistics of such a reporting system have yet to be determined. However, the good news remains that New Hampshire will finally join other states in publicizing medical errors. While the Institute of Medicine has continued to state that hospital errors are a leading cause of death in the United States, New Hampshire has dragged its feet in implementing a policy of transparency and openness to the issue of medical malpractice and errors that lead to severe and permanent injuries, including death.
According to a WMUR report, the state could begin publicizing such medical errors within six months. Medical errors and medical malpractice cost the lives of 200,000 Americans. Comparing this to the death toll in Vietnam (58,000), the number is staggering.