It’s late in the afternoon, and you have one more patient to see before you end your shift. You gently knock on the door and greet your patient by saying, “Hello, Mr. Smith. I see you are here regarding a cold,” but after a 3-second pause, your patient corrects you by replying, “Actually, my name is Mr. Anderson, and I am here for a prescription refill.” Luckily, you were able to immediately identify your error and correct your action before causing any harm this time, but not all medical errors proceed with the same fortune.
Medical errors occur frequently and are largely underreported across the healthcare field. The two types of errors that occur are due to either systemic or individual actions. Historically, our healthcare system has largely focused on correcting actions at the individual level although strides have been made to correct systemic actions. An example addressing both types of errors is the conversion of paper medical records to electronic medical records. Errors routinely attributed to persons, such as the administration of the wrong medication because of an illegible order, are now reduced with EMR. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) identified 8 common root causes of medical errors. Theses causes currently serve as guides in efforts to eliminate errors: communication problems, inadequate information flow, human problems, patient-related problems, organizational transfer of knowledge, staffing pattern/workflow, technical failure, and inadequate policies and procedures.
As Match Day approaches, medical students contemplate what the future holds in store for them. As fourth-year medical students move forward onto their residencies, it is important to keep in mind that if a mistake does occur, think about what can you learn from that mistake and how can you be more vigilant in the future in order to provide the best possible care for all patients.
- Volpp KGM, Grande D. Residents’ suggestions for reducing errors in teaching hospitals. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2003;348:851-855. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsb021667
- West CP, Shanafelt TD, Kolars JC. Quality of Life, Burnout, Educational Debt, and Medical Knowledge Among Internal Medicine Residents. JAMA. 2011;306(9):952-960. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.1247
- W. Lockwood.Medical Errors and Patient Safety. http://www.rn.org/courses/coursematerial-134.pdf
Nancy Lopez was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in biological sciences with a minor in medical anthropology. She received a Master's in global medicine from the University of Southern California. She has a special interest in rural and public health. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, hiking, snowboarding when the sunny Arizona weather is permitting, and spending time traveling.