On March 12, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 320) designating the week of March 7, 2004, as “National Patient Safety Awareness Week.”
According to the resolution, “1 in every 5 citizens of the United States has experienced a medical error or has a family member who has experienced a medical error.” The resolution states that more people die annually from medical errors than from automobile accidents, breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS. The resolution also notes that injuries from preventable medical errors cost the United States economy between $17 and $29 billion each year. Finally, the resolution declares, “Education of the public on medical errors and the factors that typically lead to medical errors empowers patients to be more effective partners with health care providers in the battle against preventable injuries from medical errors.”
Sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), explained that the theme of this year’s National Patient Safety Week is “power of partnership.” He stated, “Our recognition of National Patient Safety Awareness Week is an important addition to our efforts to create a safer health care system by promoting increased patient education and highlighting the importance of partnership between health care providers and patients.”
