Sometimes it's a technology snafu. Sometimes it's a human being making a mistake. Medical errors are a constant source of risk for health care consumers.
At Cleveland's University Hospitals, the wrong kidney was transplanted into a patient: Kidney Mixup. A patient was killed by a paralyzing drug when the nurse overrode the medication system's safeguards at Vanderbilt: Medication Error.
As a health care consumer, there are practical steps you can take to prevent many potential medical errors. You'll find them in Chapter 13 of Patient or Pawn?.