Reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Reaction paper - Essay Example As there is no means of eliminating the human ability to make errors, it is necessary to first do what can be done to negate or contain the symptoms of the problem by placing safeguards and checks in place that will protect both the patient and the caregiver in ensuring that errors made are caught in time to fix the problem. According to the author of the article, this is exactly what the IOM report was attempting to suggest, but this idea was completely overlooked by those who read it. By putting the medical community on the defensive instead of working with it to try to address problems that arose, the emphasis on blame created a scenario in which medical professionals became fearful of reporting issues and attempted to deal with things on their own. This is comparable to a doctor yelling at a chronic patient for not getting better. It is human nature in that case for the patient to refrain from reporting new symptoms in order to avoid being yelled at, but the problem can only get worse. While it is clearly necessary to report those individuals who are deliberately or negligently endangering patients, as it would be necessary to report a new symptom that restricted breathing, it is pointless to simply assign blame without first addressing the original problem. In introducing the nature of the problem, the report does an excellent job of bringing these issues to the front as a means of redirecting the reader’s attention to the true importance of the report, which are the IOM’s recommendations for safe practices. The article gives a very informative and understandable summary of the IOM report, emphasizing the importance of preventing error through system-wide effort. The causes for error are laid out systematically as are the nine recommendations for reducing the effects of this error. This step-by-step progression of ideas is very logical and the examples provided through each