When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error

(Hardback)

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Studies claim medical mistakes could be the third leading cause of death in the US. Is it a new epidemic How do we fight it An acclaimed MD's rich stories and research explores patient safety. Practicing physician and acclaimed author Danielle Ofri investigates how medical error could be killing 10% of patients and causing 33% of hospital deaths. Although staggering success has been the dominant theme in medicine for centuries, that narrative leaves no space for discussion around the potential adverse outcomes of medical treatment. Through research and interviews with physicians, nurses, administrators, and many patients, Dr. Ofri explores the causes of medical error, and points to the changes needed to reduce risk of negative outcomes--including death. She advocates for changes as small (and proven) as checklists and as large as full-scale culture shifts in the relationship between medical staff and their patients. Woven through the book is the particularly harrowing tale of one patient, Jay, whose experience with a seemingly innocuous mistake likely cost him his life. These stories force us to reconsider what happens when the medical system does us harm.

Reviews

What makes this book special is Ofris perceptive and compassionate nature; she sees her own patients as real people and is candid with readers about her concerns and vulnerabilities. . . . Thorough analysis of a challenging problem executed with a personal touch that makes it highly readable.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

An essential read for anyone involved or interested in the care of patients.
Booklist

Anyone familiar with Dr. Danielle Ofris books or blogs knows that she is in the company of other physician writers who share a deep commitment to ensuring that humanity is always at the heart of healthcare. Her readers know, too, that she is a skilled and compassionate healthcare provider.
New York Journal of Books

This book is a must read for anyone entering a hospital as a patient, and for family members and patient advocates. Doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators will also benefit. It should be required reading in nursing and medical schools.
Medium

One of the leading physician-authors of our time, Danielle Ofri masterfully diagnoses the reasons for our pervasive problem of medical errors. Beyond a systematic dissection that every patient can understand, she provides solutions for how to get healthcare on track.
Professor Eric Topol, author of Deep Medicine

Praise for Dr. Danielle Ofri

The world of patient and doctor exists in a special sacred space. Danielle Ofri brings us into that place where science and the soul meet. Her vivid and moving prose enriches the mind and turns the heart.
Jerome Groopman, author of How Doctors Think

Danielle Ofri is a finely gifted writer, a born storyteller as well as a born physician.
Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings

With the meticulous care of Oliver Sacks and the deep humanism of Atul Gawande, Danielle Ofri . . . presents compelling evidence that even as doctoring appears to be dominated by technology, the human, affective relationship is at the very center of responsible practice.
Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree

[Ofri offers] taut, vivid prose. . . . She writes for a lay audience with a practiced hand.
Katie Hafner, New York Times

Ofri adroitly balances presentation of her own experiences and those of others. . . . Her voice is one that deserves to be heard and listened to carefully, as what she describes carries great significance for all of us within the health care system, patients and healers alike.
Dennis Rosen, The Boston Globe

Danielle Ofri has so much to say about the remarkable intimacies between doctor and patient, about the bonds and the barriers, and above all about how doctors come to understand their powers and their limitations.
Perri Klass, MD, author of A Not Entirely Benign Procedure

Author Bio

Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and has cared for patients at New York's Bellevue Hospital for more than two decades. She is the author of several acclaimed books, including What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear; What Doctors Feel; and Singular Intimacies. Dr. Ofri is a regular contributor to the New York Times' Well blog and Op-Ed page, as well as to the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet. She lives in New York City. Connect with her at danielleofri.com and on Twitter (@danielleofri).