Definition of medical error: failure of a planned action to be completed as intended, or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.
Reported in 1999 that 44-98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year because of preventable medical errors.
Hospital based errors account for the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S.
Up to 70% of surgical adverse events felt to be preventable.
More than half hospital deaths related to surgical errors and failures.