Mistake-proofing healthcare: Why stopping processes may be a good start

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die each year as a result of medical errors. The IOM report further states, ‘‘given current knowledge about the magnitude of the problem, the committee believes it would be irresponsible to expect anything less than a 50% reduction in errors over five years’’ (Kohn, Corrigan, &Donaldson, 2000, p. 4). Ten years later, Consumers Union (2009) gave a failing grade to United States healthcare for its improvement efforts. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2008) reported that for the 5-year period ending in 2005 patient safety improved by about 1% annually, far short of the goal. The original IOM cost estimate for these errors ranged from $17 to $29 billion annually. However, the President of the United States was delighted to make headlines by announcing an agreement with influential healthcare leaders to curb the growth rate of healthcare costs to 5.5% annually (Bolduan & Liberto, 2009). Business Horizons (2010) 53, 149—156