Medical slips highlighted

One in four New Zealanders with serious health problems has been the victim of medical error, according to a report made public yesterday.

The study, made by the Harvard School of Medicine on behalf of the Commonwealth Fund, surveyed 750 New Zealand patients and compared them with similar groups in Australia, Britain and the United States.

The study revealed "disturbing rates of medical error".

About a third of those surveyed had seen five or more physicians, and it was this group that suffered the most problems, particularly with conflicting advice. Others had been subjected to duplicate tests and poor co-ordination of care.

Some patients taking multiple prescription drugs said their doctors had not reviewed their treatment or even discussed it with them recently.

Ministry of Health spokesman Andrew Greenwood said the ministry was aware of the issues and was taking steps to improve co-ordination of care.

"This report is based on data we supplied," he said.

Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson said the fact that New Zealand had similar error rates to the other countries surveyed (Australia, Britain, the US and Canada) was "no comfort".

- NZPA