Medical errors: The hidden epidemic you can protect yourself from

Here’s a truth most people never hear in the exam room: hospitals save lives—but they can also put lives at risk.

Medical errors—like infections, drug mix-ups, or missed diagnoses—consistently rank among the top three causes of death in America.

The good news? With the right preparation and advocacy, you can dramatically reduce your risk.

Inside the healthcare system: What patients don’t see

When you walk into a doctor’s office or hospital, you expect safety and expertise. But behind the scenes, those of us who’ve worked inside the system know the reality: errors happen every day.

Most are unintentional—an overlooked lab value, a communication breakdown, or a documentation mix-up—but even small mistakes can lead to serious harm.

Despite decades of research and new technologies, the problem hasn’t improved. In fact, staffing shortages, documentation overload, and burnout have made it worse.

What exactly counts as a “medical error”?

Definitions vary, but errors generally fall into three categories:

• Errors of execution: When a correct plan isn’t carried out as intended.

• Errors of planning: When the wrong plan is used to achieve the goal.

• Process deviations: When the usual safety steps are skipped or incomplete.

Common examples include medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, surgical complications, pressure ulcers, and even wrong-site surgeries.

Outside hospital walls, misdiagnoses and delayed diagnoses—especially for strokes, heart attacks, sepsis, and certain cancers—are leading causes of preventable harm.

Why these errors happen

It’s tempting to blame individuals, but most medical errors are systemic. Communication failures, short staffing, excessive electronic documentation, and fragmented care systems all create the perfect environment for mistakes.

Nurses, for example, often spend more time entering data than providing bedside care. Combine that with post-COVID burnout and an aging healthcare workforce, and the margin for safety gets thinner every year.

The numbers behind the crisis

• Up to 98,000 deaths per year were linked to medical errors in the landmark To Err Is Human report (1999).

• By 2004, estimates rose to 195,000 deaths annually among Medicare patients.

• The Office of Inspector General later reported 180,000 deaths in Medicare in-patients each year.

• More recent data suggests the true number may be as high as 376,000 preventable deaths annually.

Despite this, medical error is not listed on the CDC’s top causes of death, leaving the crisis largely invisible.

What you can do to protect yourself

Hospitals have introduced checklists and safety protocols, but they can only go so far. The truth is, patients and families play a vital role in their own safety.

Here are simple, proven ways to lower your risk:

✅ Keep a complete, portable medical binder — Include your medical power of attorney, living will, medication list, allergies, recent lab results, imaging reports, and emergency contacts.
✅ Bring a second set of eyes and ears — A family member, friend, or independent advocate can catch inconsistencies and help clarify information.
✅ Ask questions—always — If something feels off, speak up.
✅ Verify medications and doses — Many errors are caused by simple mix-ups.
✅ Keep your own medical records — Don’t rely solely on portals or hospital systems.

Why partner with an independent patient advocate

This is where Norbella Health Advocates can make all the difference.
As Independent Patient Health Advocates, we combine clinical experience with unwavering loyalty to you—not the hospital, not your insurance company.

We can:

• Review your medical records and catch discrepancies before they cause harm.

• Communicate with your healthcare team to coordinate safe, accurate care.

• Translate test results and treatment plans into clear, understandable terms.

• Stand beside you (in person or virtually) to ensure your care aligns with your wishes.

Having a professional advocate by your side isn’t a luxury—it’s a safeguard.

Take control of your health story with Primary Record

One of the most powerful tools for preventing medical errors is owning and organizing your health information. That’s why Norbella Health Advocates partners with Primary Record—a secure digital platform that lets you manage every aspect of your medical story in one place.

With Primary Record, you can:

• Store critical documents such as your medical power of attorney, living will, medication lists, allergies, labs, imaging, and emergency contacts.

• Add collaborators—share access securely with family members, caregivers, or your patient advocate

• Create custom health summary sheets that help new providers understand your history at a glance.

• Connect multiple patient portals into one centralized record, so nothing gets lost in fragmented systems.

This single step can prevent delays, reduce confusion, and even save lives by ensuring every member of your care team has accurate, up-to-date information.

Your next step toward safer, more coordinated care

You don’t have to face the healthcare system alone—or unprepared. Let’s make sure your information is accurate, organized, and accessible when it matters most.

Set up your personal digital medical binder today at Primary Record.

Use our special Norbella sign-up link at registration to unlock exclusive savings and personalized setup support.

Together, we can make healthcare safer—one informed, empowered patient at a time.