Medical missteps are a significant cause for concern within the healthcare industry. Although many mistakes are minor, some are significant enough to cause physical or emotional harm to your patients.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), a medical mistake is “an error that is an unintended act or omission or a flawed system or plan that harms or has the potential to harm a patient.”
Even though these issues are unintentional, they affect patient safety and well-being. As a result, the prevention of medical errors should be an essential goal for all practitioners.
Medical Errors and Patient Safety
Humans, including doctors and other health professionals, are bound to make mistakes. Unfortunately, such errors can affect a person’s safety or, at the very least, their trust in said professionals.
Some of the most common ways mistakes impact patients include:
- Delays in diagnosis or proper treatment
- Injury, illness, or death
- Deteriment to the person’s psychological well-being
- Incorrect or even harmful treatment
- Dismissal of patient concerns
- Increased care costs
Although missteps are unavoidable, physicians have a responsibility to prevent them whenever possible. They also need to take accountability when errors occur.
Per the AMA Code of Medical Ethics, health professionals involved in a mistake should:
- Acknowledge and disclose it to the patient
- Explain the potential risks or harm the mistake could cause
- Provide appropriate information to help patients make informed decisions about their future care
Additionally, doctors should explain the efforts being taken to prevent similar issues in the future.
Types of Medical Errors
Mistakes can occur in any healthcare setting, from primary care to the surgical suite. For example, a practitioner may give a patient the wrong medicine, or a piece of equipment could fail.
In other cases, doctors make diagnostic errors or fail to communicate care needs to other professionals or the patient. Additional examples include:
- Patient falls
- Incorrect lab results
- Hospital-acquired infections
- Incorrect meals in inpatient settings when a person requires a special diet
- Surgical mistakes
Some of these issues may cause more harm than others. However, many medical missteps are avoidable with proper training and education.
Medical Error Categories
The healthcare industry also categorizes errors by cause or timing. Here’s a general overview of these groupings:
- No-fault errors: A no-fault mistake occurs due to factors beyond the physician’s control. As an example, a patient may provide misleading information about their health that prevents proper diagnosis.
- System-related errors: These are technical barriers that affect outcomes, such as insufficient organizational processes or equipment failure.
- Cognitive errors: These issues stem from inadequate knowledge, a lack of competency, or poor critical thinking skills.
- Diagnostic errors: Diagnostic missteps can lead doctors to incorrect or delayed diagnoses. Sometimes this is due to failure to test, outdated testing methods, or failure to act on test results.
- Treatment errors: These mistakes occur during treatment administration, such as surgical errors or incorrect dosing.
- Preventive errors: These issues include failing to provide preventive treatment, inadequate monitoring, or a lack of follow-up.
Regardless of the type, physicians must take responsibility when they occur—and try to prevent them from happening at all.
How to Prevent Medical Errors
While errors happen from time to time, physicians should do everything they can to reduce their occurrence. Although there are numerous possible methods for preventing medical mistakes, here are a myriad of steps you can take today:
- Build a support system: Interact regularly with other healthcare professionals, seeking advice or mentorship when needed. Ask another doctor how they would respond to a situation you’re experiencing to help inform your decision-making process.
- Focus on team-based healthcare: Team-based healthcare allows physicians to set shared goals and create defined roles for members. Additionally, building trust and rapport with team members and patients can improve communication.
- Identify risks: Determine where the risk of a medical mistake is greatest within your practice. For example, risk could be higher during specific procedures or tests. Some people may also be at greater risk than others due to age or complex health conditions.
- Prioritize patient safety: Your patients’ well-being should be your top priority. Your practice should actively support patient safety by reporting and studying errors. You could also refresh your knowledge about proper hygiene, lab labeling, and other best practices.
- Use the “Safer Dx Checklist”: The Institute for Healthcare Improvement developed “The Safer Dx Checklist” to help practitioners achieve “diagnostic excellence.” It is a 10-question review that your organization can use to determine whether it is meeting diagnostic goals.
All things considered, there is a lot that goes into preventing and reducing medical errors. However, with training and technology, improving patient safety is easier than ever.
If you’re ready to reduce medical errors, continuing medical education (CME) is a helpful jumping-off point. Whether you need a refresher on safety protocols or want to stay up-to-date with the latest treatment advances, you’re in the right place.
Browse upcoming in-person and virtual seminars today to get started!
