‘To Err Is Human’ documentary explores deadly medical errors

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine released “To Err is Human,” a landmark report on patient safety asserting that medical errors kill 44,000 to 98,000 patients every year.

Now nearly 20 years later, the son of a leading 
patient-safety advocate has directed a documentary with the same title. It cites even bigger numbers of deaths from “preventable adverse events”—up to 440,000 a year, based on a 2013 studyin the Journal of Patient Safety.

Mike Eisenberg is also editor and producer of the film, which explores medical mistakes as a “silent epidemic” and follows those working to improve patient safety behind the scenes. The movie is dedicated to the filmmaker’s father, Dr. John Eisenberg, an early leader of patient-safety...