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Ordering errors by first-year residents: evidence of learning from mistakes.
- Source :
-
Missouri medicine [Mo Med] 2004 Mar-Apr; Vol. 101 (2), pp. 128-31. - Publication Year :
- 2004
-
Abstract
- Objective and Design: To study patterns of ordering errors, we reviewed charts of patients cared for by first-year residents at our community-based teaching hospital.<br />Results: In month one, 39 of 1248 orders (3.1%) were rated as errors. In contrast, 9 of 1072 orders (0.84%) in month six were rated as errors (p < 0.001). Of the 48 errors identified, 36 (75%) related to medications (choice, dose, route, frequency, or duration). Over half (53%) of these errors involved antimicrobials, pulmonary medications, or diabetes-related drugs. For all errors, half (24/48) were identified by attending physicians, with hospital support staff noting most of the remaining errors (43.8%). Errors were ultimately corrected by the first-year resident in over half of the cases (52%); attending physicians corrected 16 of 39 errors (41%) in month one but only one of nine errors (11%) in month six. Errors by first-year residents were primarily attributed to inattention (45.8%) or deficits in clinical knowledge (43.8%). No adverse effects resulted from any of the ordering errors identified. Primary consequences of errors included inconvenience to staff (50%), delay in treatment or diagnosis (31.3%), or receiving unneeded medication (18.8%).<br />Conclusions: The number of medical errors decreases with experience. Our results highlight the importance of clinical supervision during the initial months of training.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0026-6620
- Volume :
- 101
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Missouri medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 15119112