Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America's Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes

Internal Bleeding is utterly compelling. Dramatic and unflinching, it gives us both the stories of what really happens when things go wrong in medicine and the research that explains what needs to be done. The writing is clear. The ideas are startling. And the tale is important. Wachter and Shojania have written a book that matters. -Atul Gawande, bestselling author of Complications Internal Bleeding is ER meets Fast Food Nation. By pulling back the curtain to show us the hidden world of doctors and nurses, it paints a remarkable and unforgettable picture of how medical mistakes happen, and what must be done to cure this modern epidemic. It is a fascinating and essential read for both patients and medical professionals. --David Kessler, M.D., J.D., Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, 1990-1997. The authors have achieved something quite special. The lay reader will journey inside the complex world of medical care today and gain an understanding of the strengths, weaknesses and humanity behind the headlines about medical errors. For any healthcare professional laboring every day to make what they do for patients better and safer, this book is invaluable. It is full of insights, learning and guidance that will help them create and keep the 'culture of safety' that hospitals must achieve for patients in spite of shrinking resources and increasingly complex technology. Read this book. --Dick Davidson, President, American Hospital Association Health care could be far, far safer than it is today, but not without widespread public understanding of the nature and extent of its risks. Which brings us to Internal Bleeding-a disciplined, vivid, responsible, and appropriately disturbing exploration of the problems, and the possibilities, in patient safety. Read it, and then demand-and expect-a safer health care system. --Don Berwick, M.D., President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement.…