A String of Mistakes: The Importance of Cascade Analysis in Describing, Counting, and Preventing Medical Errors
Ann Fam Med Woolf et al.
2: 317
The Article in Brief
Studying medical errors as a chain of events can shed light on the underlying causes of the errors. Using this approach, the authors found that, in primary care offices in 6 different countries, 2 out of 3 chains of medical errors were set in motion by errors in communication. This suggests that communication issues should be considered in programs to reduce medical errors.
