Medical Errors

Errors or mistakes committed by health professionals which result in harm to the patient. They include errors in diagnosis (DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS), errors in the administration of drugs and other medications (MEDICATION ERRORS), errors in the performance of surgical procedures, in the use of other types of therapy, in the use of equipment, and in the interpretation of laboratory findings. Medical errors are differentiated from MALPRACTICE in that the former are regarded as honest mistakes or accidents while the latter is the result of negligence, reprehensible ignorance, or criminal intent.

Also Known As:

Critical Incidents, Medical; Critical Medical Incidents; Errors, Medical; Errors, Surgical; Medical Error of Commission; Medical Error of Omission; Medical Errors of Commission; Medical Errors of Omission; Medical Mistake; Mistake, Medical; Mistakes, Medical; Never Event; Surgical Error; Wrong-Patient Surgery; Wrong-Procedure Errors; Wrong-Site Surgery; Commission Medical Error; Commission Medical Errors; Critical Incident, Medical; Critical Medical Incident; Error, Medical; Error, Surgical; Error, Wrong-Procedure; Errors, Wrong-Procedure; Event, Never; Events, Never; Incident, Critical Medical; Incident, Medical Critical; Incidents, Critical Medical; Incidents, Medical Critical; Medical Critical Incident; Medical Critical Incidents; Medical Error; Medical Incident, Critical; Medical Incidents, Critical; Never Events; Omission Medical Error; Omission Medical Errors; Surgeries, Wrong-Patient; Surgeries, Wrong-Site; Surgery, Wrong-Patient; Surgery, Wrong-Site; Wrong Patient Surgery; Wrong Procedure Errors; Wrong Site Surgery; Wrong-Patient Surgeries; Wrong-Procedure Error; Wrong-Site Surgeries; Medical Mistakes; Surgical Errors

Health Care Facilities, Manpower, and Services
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  - Medical Errors

Health Services

Context: Research Results