Vital Signs
New Zealand Listener|September 22-28 2018

Patients must not be afraid to speak out to avoid mistakes in our hard-pressed hospitals.

Donna Chisholm
Vital Signs
You’re heading into hospital. You’ve either packed an overnight bag with your pyjamas and toothbrush for that elective surgery that’s been scheduled for months or you’re in an ambulance en route to the accident and emergency department for urgent treatment.

Chances are you’ll be safely at home and on the mend again within days. Your stay will be uneventful. With luck, it will set you back on track to good health. If you’re unlucky, you might get much worse before you get better. If you’re very unlucky, you might never go home at all.

Last year, a Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC) report, “Learning from Adverse Events”, recommended putting patients at the centre when doctors and bureaucrats report, review and learn from adverse events. The HQSC analysed and categorised the 542 adverse events reported in 2016-17 and found, unsurprisingly, that more than half (282) were the result of clinical management issues. The next biggest category was falls (210), followed by medication errors and hospital-acquired infections (35).

The common denominator in many cases came down to one word – delays: delays in referral to a specialist; delays in finding the correct diagnosis; delays in recognising patient deterioration; delays caused by shortages of staff, equipment or clinic time to meet demand; and appointment delays.

The same trend is reflected in the more than 2000 complaints each year to the Health and Disability Commissioner. The two largest categories of complaint, making up nearly a quarter of the total, are of missed or delayed diagnosis and inadequate or inappropriate treatment. The number of complaints is steadily increasing – up 20% since 2012 – suggesting patients are becoming more aware of their rights, and of provider obligations.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22-28 2018 من New Zealand Listener.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22-28 2018 من New Zealand Listener.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من NEW ZEALAND LISTENER مشاهدة الكل
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024