Medical Errors are the third-leading cause of death in US .Most doctors don't want general people to know about this hidden but true fact.A recent Johns Hopkins study claims more than 250,000 people in the U.S. die every year from medical errors. Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000.
                       Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.Advocates are fighting back, pushing for greater legislation for patient safety.Makary defines a death due to medical error as one that is caused by inadequately skilled staff, error in judgment or care, a system defect or a preventable adverse effect. This includes computer breakdowns, mix-ups with the doses or types of medications administered to patients and surgical complications that go undiagnosed.

                "Medical-care workers are dedicated, caring people," said Chris Jerry, "but they're human. And human beings make mistakes." Every year an estimated 4,000 people who undergo surgery are injured by surgical errors. These preventable mistakes are called “never events” because they never should have happened. Common surgical errors include: Leaving surgical equipment (e.g., sponges or instruments) inside a patient; using unsterile surgical instruments; performing surgery on the wrong body part; performing the wrong procedure; performing surgery on the wrong patient; damaging nerves during procedure; cutting or puncturing organs that were not involved in the procedure; failing to administer an appropriate dose of anesthesia.

There are a number of reasons why surgical errors occur. They include:A surgeon may not have performed a particular procedure very often and simply lacks the skill to perform the surgery properly.Failure to communicate properly is often a major factor in wrong-procedure, wrong-site and wrong-patient surgeries.
Insufficient pre-operative planning.Surgeons may not perform certain steps during the procedure, incorrectly concluding that they are not necessary.Fatigue: Surgeons often work long shifts.Negligence: Failure to make sure that all instruments are properly sterilized and equipment is functioning properly.
             A bad outcome does not necessarily prove that a mistake was made or that medical malpractice occurred.To improve the safety of medication use, Classen developed and implemented a computerized physician order-entry program at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. "Harnessing health information technology through the use of electronic health records of hospitalized and ambulatory patients is essential," he said.Many hospitals, for their part, are seeking to keep pace with increasingly available technology to improve patient safety. Kim Lanyon, a senior ICU nurse at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, said all electronic records there are double-checked, and fail-safe devices are in place."

               Similarly, most physicians' offices now keep records electronically, as well as recording conversations among doctors, nurses and their patients in order to make certain there is clarity and that no mistakes result.Even so, Makary said ordinary complications can occur, especially from unneeded medical care. According to him, "Twenty percent of all medical procedures may be unnecessary." He faults also the overprescription of medication following surgery, particularly opioids.Doctors, he said, have been encouraged by drug companies, sometimes through cash payments, to "promote" their products, as revealed by the website Dollars for Docs.
What patients can do to protect themselves

            James' site, Patient Safety America, lists the three levels in which patients can protect themselves. These include being a wise consumer of health care by demanding quality, cost-effective care for yourself and those you love; by participating in patient-safety leadership through boards, panels and commissions that implement policy and laws; and by pushing for laws that favor safer care, transparency and accountability.
"Too often, the health-care system silences people around a problem."-Dr. Martin Makary, surgical oncologist and chief of the Johns Hopkins Islet Transplant Center
            Here are some other ways patients can be vigilant right now and is being practised in advanced nations of us,uk,germany,france,australia etc.

        Ask questions. Gain as much insight as you can from your health-care provider. Ask about the benefits, side effects and disadvantages of a recommended medication or procedure. Use social media to learn more about the patient's own condition, as well as those medications and procedures for which they were prescribed.Seek a second opinion. If the situation warrants or if uncertainties exist, get a second opinion from another doctor: A good doctor will welcome confirmation of his diagnosis and resist any efforts to discourage the patient from learning more — or what Makary calls, "attempts to gag the patient."

"Too often," he said, "the health-care system silences people around a problem." Why? Many doctors are reluctant to speculate, but some admit the answers range from simple ego to losing a patient to another doctor they trust more.Bring along an advocate. Sometimes it's hard to process all the information by yourself. Bring a family member or a friend to your appointment — someone who can understand the information and suggestions given and ask questions.Download an app. By having your medical information literally in the palm of your hand, you can work as a team with your doctor to cut your risk for medical errors. Health-care apps can be simple or complex, and depending on your age and condition, you can manage your well-being, medications and more.

How as a doctor or hospital should reduce it ?should doctor or hospital gag the patient or hide the facts ?