The state of Minnesota is doing a better job with preventing deaths in hospitals due to avoidable medical errors, but non-fatal events in other care environments persist.

In all, four people died as a result of “adverse events” at Minnesota hospitals in the 12 months ending October 2009, compared to 18 the year before. That was the fewest deaths since the state began reporting the statistics in 2005. This is also the first year that no hospital reported a fatal fall.

Good news overall in a state which prides itself in using tools designed to keep the lines of communication open in all care settings in which procedure driven interventions comprise the majority of reimbursed care. Of course, it always helps to know that this is an area ripe for reform within Medicare. | LINK

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