Preventable medical errors may cost the United States up to $1 trillion dollars in lost human potential and contributions, according to the Journal of Health Care Finance.

That estimate is exponentially higher than previous studies, which focused solely on direct medical expenses associated with preventable medical errors. Previous studies showed the economic impact to range from $17 billion up to $50 billion annually and only focused on direct medical costs such as ancillary services, prescription drug services, and inpatient and outpatient care.

"Previous studies do not come close to illustrating the economic loss of human potential and contribution, which families, colleagues, businesses, and communities experience when someone dies from a preventable medical error," says author Stephen Davidow, a Chicago-based health analyst. "The magnitude of the problem for our society is many orders of magnitude greater than just the medical costs."