It's a frightening thought, but the truth is that medical mistakes do happen, and last week one hospital admitted to an alarming number. Sturdy Hospital in Attleboro, Mass., revealed that over a two-year period, 10 percent of its pathology tests for prostate cancer were wrong.
The hospital told 19 men that they were cancer free, but after their tests were looked at again, the men found out that in fact they had prostate cancer. Since then, the hospital has sent 6,000 other tests to be re-examined.
According to Dr. Bruce Auerbach of Sturdy Hospital, no one has died as a result of the faulty tests, but the hospital deeply regrets the errors that were made. "This has been devastating for everyone," he added.
Some physicians feel that so many mistakes could only be because of the incompetence of the individual reading the tests, while others feel that mistakes just happen.
Since it has been found that mistakes do happen, what can patients do to protect themselves from mistakes such as false test results? Some suggestions from lawyers and physicians include learning more about who is performing the tests; and seeking more information about the standards for labs like finding out is the pathologist board certified, is the lab accredited and what quality control is in place to catch mistakes.
While the federal government sets minimum standards for labs, it may be in the patients' best interest to do some investigating of their own. It could mean the difference between life and death.
05/03/99
