US to research into deaths through medical error

Speaking at a White House meeting on Tuesday, Clinton said, "This is about far more than dollars or statistics. It’s about the toll that such errors take on people’s lives and on their faith in our health care system."

The president said he had asked the commission on consumer protection and quality care to "set the stage for the Congress to pass a strong, enforceable patients’ bill of rights," and to respond within 60 days on how to act on IOM recommendations.

"I’m directing my budget and health care teams to develop quality and patient safety initiatives for next year’s budget so that we can ensure we’re doing all we can to combat this problem," said Clinton. "I want next year’s budget to provide the largest investment to eliminate medical errors, improve quality, and enhance patient safety."

In its 223-page report the IOM put forward a series of measures it said could reduce the number of deaths by half, also sparing some of the 8.8 billion dollar bill.