Medical errors in surgery.

Abstract

Researchers at the Institute of Medicine have reported a staggering number of medical errors, that is, adverse effects as a result of treatment, in healthcare in America. This article argues against a no-faults systems view as a corrective for these events and calls us instead to trust the motivations of providers and the peer review process to bring about the needed cultural revolution. It sees healthcare as an honorable profession rather than an off-the-shelf commodity, and calls on providers to be courageous leaders who make safety their priority.