Jophelle S.

Jucom August 24,

2023
BSN 2 - NG

Title of the Article: Medical Error Reduction and Prevention

• Authors: Thomas L. Rodziewicz, Benjamin Houseman, John E. Hipskind
• APA format of Bibliography: Medical error reduction and prevention - statpearls
- NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
• Source of the Article: National Library of Medicine: National Center for
Biotechnology Information
• Key terms used for the Search: medication error, reduction, prevention

In the United States, medical errors are a major cause of death and a critical
public health issue. Finding a reliable cause of mistakes and then offering a reliable,
workable solution that reduces the likelihood of a reoccurring problem are difficult
tasks. Patient safety can be raised by acknowledging unfavorable incidents when
they occur, learning from them, and attempting to prevent them. Maintaining a
culture that strives to identify safety concerns and put workable solutions in place as
opposed to supporting a culture of blame, shame, and punishment is a part of the
answer. Medical errors need to be seen as obstacles that must be solved in order for
healthcare organizations to build a culture of safety that prioritizes system
improvement. Making healthcare delivery safer for patients and healthcare
professionals requires participation from every member of the healthcare team. The
significance of medical error in the practice of medicine is thoroughly discussed in
the essay. It also emphasizes a number of critical elements in the creation of a safety
culture and error prevention and examines how an interprofessional team might
enhance patient care for all patients.

Most medical errors do not occur as a result of the practices of one

practitioner or a group of practitioners. Having said that, it is to be acknowledged
that the majority of mishaps are the result of system or process flaws that cause
errors in practitioners. A possible solution to this is that the healthcare system could
be modified in a way that practitioners won’t cause medication errors. Some
medication administration or processes can be complicated to do. If that system can
be modified in a way that it won’t be that confusing to the practitioner, then it can
help prevent the prevalence of a medication error. It is important to recognize,
however, that errors done regarding medication will still be blamed on the individual
who did the error. There still should be accountability that would be done when such
events happen. But, it would be better not only for the practitioners but for the overall
healthcare system, if system improvement is to be focused on rather than individual
punishment when medication errors are done. With that, patient satisfaction and a
better service or healthcare is provided to the patient because of the continuous
quality improvement to be done which in turn would lead to the avoidance of
repetitive errors that happen because of the complicated or difficult system.
Patient safety, mortality, and morbidity rates will decrease when
institutional efforts result in the implementation of action plans which reduce
medical errors. Structured initiatives that come from the higher institutions will help
in reducing medication errors which in turn would decrease mortality and morbidity
rates. There will be an avoidance of patient death that involves healthcare-
associated infections, equipment, and drug and test distribution if efforts are done to
come up with strategies or action plans to reduce errors that lead to these types of
patient death. Furthermore, it is important that the practitioners assigned to tasks or
activities that are prone to medication errors are equipped with the necessary,
updated and correct information. Teamwork, education and proper training are all
essential to build this kind of rapport to healthcare professionals. When the
environment for work is created in a way that it is conducive to open-mindedness,
continuous and fruitful contributions by the team members, discussions on reducing
barriers to reporting errors or giving of information about errors and avoiding it,
patient and staff safety are improved and the provision of health care is heightened.

References:
Medical error reduction and prevention - statpearls - NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/