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Rate of preventable mortality in hospitalized patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Rodwin BA, Bilan VP, Merchant NB, et al. Rate of Preventable Mortality in Hospitalized Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(7):2099-2106. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05592-5

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April 1, 2020
Rodwin BA, Bilan VP, Merchant NB, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(7):2099-2106.
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In this systematic review, the authors aimed to estimate the proportion of inpatient deaths deemed preventable. A meta-analysis of eight studies including adult patients who died in the hospital found that 3.1% of 12,503 deaths were considered preventable, which is lower than other estimates of preventable mortality. The authors conclude that a reasonable estimate of preventable deaths in the US may be about 22,000 annually, but only about 7,150 of these deaths affect patients expected to live more than 3 months (in the absence of medical error). They argue that previous studies have overestimated the rate of preventable mortality because the great majority of inpatient deaths are due to underlying disease. Regardless of the exact number, too many patients die needlessly due to unsafe care.

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Rodwin BA, Bilan VP, Merchant NB, et al. Rate of Preventable Mortality in Hospitalized Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(7):2099-2106. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05592-5

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