Too many people die needlessly at U.S. hospitals

This article isn't even a day old and there are already over 600 reader comments. It obviously hit a nerve. The blame game begins.

People are not supposed to die, they are supposed to live forever, don't ya know?

Some people actually prefer to die with dignity, rather than be hooked to machines with wires and tubes.. I know I am one of them.

The problem is that this kind of article will make people blame hospitals when the greater balance of blame falls on patients and families not taking people to seek medical attention when symptoms begin.

This reminds me of the kind of backlash that went out against the funeral directors of America after An American Way Of Death was re-released.
I sure hope people think with clearer heads now...

maybe if patients/familys seeked medical attention when syptoms began, there wouldn't need to be so many not-neccessary deaths. Hospitals/doctors/nurses can only do so much. People need to take care of themselves and need to realize when there is a problem. Just my .

-Ashley, RN.

Really bad idea to tie reimbursement rates to patient outcomes. We medical folks only have so much control over what happens to the 500 lb diabetic amputee who insists on heading straight to McDonald's after being released from the hospital after their latest heart attack.....you can bet your Aunt Fanny they'll be back at the hospital in a week.....

The lack of personal responsibility in the US is amazing. It's the main reason I got out of education, because I was expected to control things I had no control over (kids coming to school, scores on standardized tests when kids had no reason to do well on them so they didn't.....etcetera). I really hope that this doesn't happen to health care.

i very much agree about taking personal responsibility for your health.
but seriously, how many nosocomial related deaths are there?
i'd bet the numbers are up there.

leslie

the little bit of the article quoted here was PP journalism....i couldnt seem to find the comment section, and the study wouldnt load or because i have dial up was just taking forever.....you cant compare apples and oranges! any good statistician/scientist knows that.....geesh