That figure of 120,000 deaths caused by physicians is one that has been bandied about for several years now and has absolutely no basis in fact. I am not saying that doctors don't make lethal mistakes. In fact, I recall a case when I was an intern when another intern did make a very basic mistake that directly led to the death of a patient. But this is very much the exception and not the rule. I am certain that the 120,000 figure is exagerated by a factor of at least 10. The problem is that no matter how hard we try, not every patient can be saved, and when we fail to save a hopelessly ill patient there is often a tendency for some to claim that it was the doctor's fault that the patient died. Medicine could be safer and we are working to make it so but media reports on the number of deaths caused by physicians have no credibility.


Californiadoctor