Health Policy Research Update
Identifying the factors that prevent and encourage doctors to report medical errors could aid efforts to improve patient safety, according to a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Researchers found that doctors were more likely to report medical errors when they felt it would improve patient safety and care or improve learning among physicians. However, professional repercussions, legal liability and other factors can inhibit doctors from disclosing errors, according to the authors.
The study concludes that patient care could be improved if factors preventing and encouraging error reporting are consistently addressed during teaching of medical ethics and professionalism.
This week's Health Policy Research Update also includes studies on:
- Quality of care as a function of patient/primary care physician relationships; and
- Computerized physician order entry systems in long-term care settings.