A new report says medical errors have become the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Medical mistakes include breakdowns in communication between doctors, unnecessary surgeries and patients discharged without any guidance. The report from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that more than 250,000 people die in America each year from medical errors.
"As a medical community there’s an increasing recognition that we should pay attention to this problem, measure it and try to develop innovations and prevention strategies," said Dr. Martin Makary of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Patients are advised to bring supportive friends or family members to appointments to help understand what doctors are saying. Second opinions are also a good safety net for patients.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed by cancer.
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