Medical Errors

Patient safety stays a major focus point when working on healthcare improvement. Mistakes are inevitable, but there is little room for them in hospital settings. Medical errors are fatal, causing over thousands of deaths each year. A multitude of reasons can lead to mistakes in diagnosis, reports, or even surgery. What should be focused on is the process of working through these errors, finding the root cause, and preventing similar situations.

Many factors lead to medical errors. No one person is at fault, but rather a combination of simple mistakes and carelessness. Issues in communication is the largest cause. This could be something as simple as one department not reading the patient’s status in time. Doctors can also miss symptoms during examinations, which influences the treatment and medication steps.

Medical errors leave lasting impacts on patients. This can range from temporary negative emotions to possible death. It can also make it harder for families to trust their healthcare providers. It is important to know patients are not the only ones affected by medical errors. Hospitals lose thousands of dollars and must make thorough investigations that take up time. Additionally, healthcare workers that are part of medical errors may experience trauma, stress, and embarrassment. These feelings could be reasons preventing workers from being honest about their experiences and actions.

All in all, there is nothing more important in a healthcare setting than transparent communication and continuous training. Many errors could be prevented if healthcare workers at each step maintained active communication. It is also important to always take accountability. Finally, patients should also stay aware of their own treatment situation, asking questions and never assuming their doctors know everything.