MEDICAL ERRORS

Course overview

THE TERM "MEDICAL ERROR" ENCOMPASSES A DIVERSE GROUP OF EVENTS THAT VARY IN MAGNITUDE AND THEIR POTENTIAL TO HARM THE PATIENT. THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF MEDICAL ERRORS WAS THAT THEY WERE A "RARE OCCURRENCE." IN THE PAST FEW DECADES, THIS PERSPECTIVE HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY, AND THE DATA SHOW THAT IT IS SIMPLY UNTRUE. MEDICAL ERRORS AND PREVENTABLE ADVERSE EVENTS ARE A GLOBAL PROBLEM. THE FIRST STEP IN IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY IS AN INTRICATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF MEDICAL ERRORS AND THE HEALTHCARE PROCESSES THAT LEAD TO MEDICAL ERRORS DURING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE COMMON TYPES OF MEDICAL ERRORS AND THE CURRENT PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO DECREASE THE RATE OF MEDICAL MISTAKES. IMPLEMENTING THESE PRACTICES IN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY CAN HELP REDUCE MEDICAL ERRORS, IMPROVE PATIENT OUTCOMES, AND INCREASE PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.