MEDICAL ERROR

Medical Error

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Medical Error in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Medical Error and its consequences. The research also analyzes many aspects of Medical Error and tries to gauge its effect on patients' treatment.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

A Brief History of Error Science4

Reason and Human Error5

Current Definitions and Classification of Medical Errors6

Current Perspectives on Medical Errors8

The Burden of Medical Errors8

The Four-Principles Approach Ethical Analysis of Medical Error Predicaments8

Conclusion9

References11

Medical Error

Introduction

Modern medicine has contributed enormously to saving human lives, improving the quality of human life and offering value-added services aimed at improving physical appearance, concealing human aging and the elimination of disease and harmful habits. This success can only be applauded. However, applauding this success does not mitigate the act of aggressively questioning the medical profession in particular, as well as governmental and regulatory agencies and the large medical supply industry, about the unacceptable burden on patients resulting from poor medical practice. It is fundamental that the medical profession investigate, clearly define and eliminate instances of flawed or unethical medical practice that result in medical errors.

A Brief History of Error Science

Since the early 1960s, scientists in different fields have recognized that measurement methodologies and applications cause errors. They also recognized that such errors have classification errors themselves. This scenario repeats itself in all areas. Medical treatment is no exception. Medical treatment in itself can be the cause of medical errors, which in turn can be misclassified. The latter receives little attention from scholars involved in the study of medical errors. In contrast, elaborated statistical models have been created to tackle such problems in other fields. For example, three models were developed to tackle census and interview errors. These include the Census Bureau Model, the Latent Class Model and Finite Mixture Probability Model. Similarly, data and measurements for geographical information systems have error measurement and error classification. Other detailed error models have also been proposed (Childress, 2001).

Reason and Human Error

Among the many scientists who studied human error, James Reason offered the most significant insight. He and other error scientists approached human error evaluation in two ways; a person's approach and a systems approach. According to them, unsafe acts and violation of processes are caused by individuals. The reason behind errors could be fatigue, recklessness, negligence, inattention or forgetfulness. A common denominator to these errors is aberrant mental processes. These errors are dealt with by additional education, writing position statements, rewriting processes and “naming and shaming”. The systems approach emphasizes the fallibility of humans and therefore, errors are inevitable and are generated by weaknesses in the system. The Swiss Cheese Model exemplifies the system approach (Reason, 2000).

Key defenses, barriers and safeguards against errors along the pathway of a process characterize this model. Errors take place because of active or latent failures of the defenses, barriers and safeguards. Slips, lapses, mistakes and process violations are characteristic of active failures. In the case of medical practice, individuals in direct contact ...