Consequences of Medical Errors Observed by Family Physicians

Am Fam Physician. 2003 Mar 1;67(5):915.

The studies used a broad definition of “error” that made sure any error could be included, regardless of whether it could cause harm to patients. The definition deliberately related to any error or mistake rather than to “preventable adverse events” or “sentinel events.” Family physicians were encouraged to report devastating and apparently trivial events, because even common mishaps not usually regarded as important medical errors might sometimes have devastating consequences. The accompanying table shows the number (and percentage) of reports that included at least one consequence. Consequences more often were revealed by qualitative analysis of the story told in each report than by family physicians' responses to direct questioning. Each case may be associated with more than one consequence, but in 120 reports, no consequence was recorded or implied.

These data suggest that in comparison with their international colleagues, U.S. family physicians may choose more often to report medical errors that do not hurt their patients physically but do create extra financial burdens. Every error type previously reported—medication errors, laboratory and diagnostic imaging errors, administration and information management errors, even filing mistakes—did sometimes harm patients, place patients at risk of harm, or add unnecessary costs to their care. Moreover, all errors impacted health care providers, making the work of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and others involved in health care less efficient, more time-consuming, and more wasteful of money than it could be.

Reducing the incidence of medical errors observed by family physicians will improve patients' safety and health status, and reduce health care costs.