Medical Errors: An Overview

Abstract

Medical errors are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in a variety of health care settings. (1-3) These errors occur not only in hospitals but in other health care settings, such as physicians’ offices, nursing homes, pharmacies, urgent care centers, and care delivered in the home. Unfortunately, very little data exist on the extent of this problem in Thailand. The serious problem of medical errors is not new, but in the past, this problem has not gotten the attention it deserved. Along with an increase in the number of diagnostic tests and effective treatment options there has been an increase in potential for harm, as many treatments and diagnostic tests carry their own risks. The potential for harm is further increased by the number of health professionals involved in the care of any one patient and the size of healthcare institutions, the consequent need for increased communication and the complexity of systems employed. Despite the increasing recognition of the importance of this phenomenon, there is limited knowledge of its causes and interventions which may
be used to effectively reduce the incidence and impact of errors on medical care. In this review, the causes
and prevention of medical errors are reviewed. Furthermore, the ethical aspects of medical errors were
also discussed, especially, the disclosure of medical errors.