One Is A Number
Learn Patient Safety Statistics Here
Easy to Find, Easy to Read, Easy to Understand
One is a Number" compiles easily accessible patient safety facts in a single location. When someone you care about is affected, even a single preventable death or injury is one too many – that's how we quantify medical errors. In 2016, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts estimated over 250,000 annual deaths in the U.S. resulted from medical errors. But beyond statistics, each individual matters, making every life count. This platform aims to provide insights into patient safety and medical error studies, acknowledging that each figure represents a person who entrusted their well-being to the healthcare system. While some studies might seem outdated due to infrequency, we strive to keep up with the latest research and reports.​​
One day, a hospital administrator said to me "if you can't show how educating patients saves lives, it will never be funded or supported". I responded with "if it was your child, we could have saved, isn't one a number?
Ilene Corina, Founder, One is a Number
2019 figures from the National Institute of Health:
Medical errors are a leading cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Recent mortality analysis in the United States ranked medical errors as the third major cause of death, following heart disease and cancer, which were ranked on the first and second place, respectively. Read more here
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2023 World Health Organization Around 1 in every 10 patients is harmed in health care and more than 3 million deaths occur annually due to unsafe care. In low-to-middle income countries, as many as 4 in 100 people die from unsafe care. Read more here
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How does the quality of the U.S. health system compare to other countries?
Despite spending more money per capita on healthcare than any similarly large and wealthy nation, the United States has a lower life expectancy than peer nations and has seen worsening health outcomes since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more here