In what can only be perceived as a glaring error in the practice of medicine, a new study has determined that the most common mistake made is when patients 65 years or older are not scheduled for their referral appointments. These appointments are usually with specialists that their primary care physicians directed them to. As a consequence, one in three of these patients never gets the treatment that was determined to be important for their recovery.

In the study in question, doctors followed over 6700 patients over the age of 65, with a mean age of 72. Their findings, published in the Journal of Evaluation and Clinical Practice, revealed that in lieu of referrals, only 71% of these patients are actually scheduled to meet with a specialist, and of these people, only 70% make it to the specialist’s office. This means that only 50% of the total number of patients received the treatment that was recommended for them.

The reasons are not always simple and straightforward. Certain barriers will always prevent patients from making it to the doctor’s office, including transportation and health issues, but a fair number of them are indeed correctable. These include clerical errors that fail to make appointments, as well as miscommunication between doctor’s offices that result in referrals never reaching their intended destination.

In fact, the use of health information technology (IT) was cited as an effective way to curtail many of these errors. Health IT provides a more organized and well coordinated approach that maintains the focus on patient care. The increased use of electronic medical records also increases efficiency, and in certain instances, there have been significant decreases in the error rate.

The authors of the study stress that the answer is not to point fingers, and that it is neither the fault of the doctors or the patients alone. However, a solution may require that both parties work together, and may involve a bit more cooperation and coordination to remedy the situation.

Medical errors are a serious problem and one of the leading causes of death and injury in this country. In order to protect yourself as a patient, it is important to be involved and to heard. Inform your doctor of all relevant health information, and if something is confusing or troubling, don’t hesitate to ask. If your doctor will not give you adequate information, talk to someone who will, or find another doctor. And whenever possible, seek out a second opinion regarding serious medical conditions.

If you have questions or concerns, visit the website for the Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about medical errors, check out the website for FamilyDoctor.org.