Hospitals' dirty secret. New reports on hospital patient safety and infections reveal pattern of deadly and expensive, yet preventable, medical errors

Abstract

They "will be met with skepticism by some, shock by others and incredulity by the remainder", says David Nash, left, editor of the American Journal of Medical Quality, about three new reports published in the journal that question patient safety in the nation's hospitals. The reports use different methods but all come to same conclusion: Poor practices at hospitals lead to deadly, costly infections.