Medical Errors: Prevention and Patient Safety

Objectives: Define medical errors and associated terminology. Discuss the scope of medical errors in the U.S. healthcare environment. Describe the causes of medical errors. Review the most common medical errors and strategies to prevent them. Summarize the elements of effective clinical communication and documentation. Identify populations with special vulnerability to medical errors. Describe various initiatives of the patient safety movement in healthcare. Discuss healthcare accrediting agency standards and goals as they relate to preventing medical errors. Outline institutional strategies to identify and reduce the risk of medical errors.

Description: Comprehensive overview of preventing medical errors in the practice setting, including the most common medical errors and strategies to prevent them. Covers evidence-based interventions, the importance of communication, patient safety standards, and the role of organizational systems.