Studies Focus on Systems for Reporting Medical Errors and Quality Issues

This document summarizes the research findings of 2 investigations into the reporting of care-related injuries that are the result of medical errors. A study by L Williams et al. found that hospitals reported fewer care-related injuries to the voluntary system offered by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations than they did to States mandating such reporting. Reported injuries included the suicide of a patient in a setting where the patient received around-the-clock care.