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Research ArticleOriginal Research

The Identification of Medical Errors by Family Physicians During Outpatient Visits

Nancy C. Elder, MaryBeth Vonder Meulen and Amy Cassedy
The Annals of Family Medicine March 2004, 2 (2) 125-129; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.16
Nancy C. Elder
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MaryBeth Vonder Meulen
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Amy Cassedy
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    Figure 1.

    Physician survey form for indicating types of medical errors and preventable adverse events encountered during office visits.

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    Table 1.

    Preventable Adverse Events and Errors Identified by Family Physicians During Patient Visits (N = 351)

    ClassificationExamplesPatient Visits With Errors No. (%)
    Note: more than 1 error was identified in 22 patient visits.
    Office administration errors57 (16.5)
        ChartingAny part of chart is not present, is in the wrong place, entire chart is missing37 (10.5)
        General office administrationStaffing problems, missing or incorrect forms or paperwork, laboratory or radiograph processing errors21 (6.0)
    Physician-related errorsSkill problems, time management problems (interrupted, feeling rushed)28 (8.0)
    Patient communication errorsProblems communicating with patient by physician, staff, or other physicians; appointment and triage errors16 (4.5)
    Preventable adverse eventsMissed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, incorrect treatment15 (4.3)

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    Fifteen practicing family physicians identified medical errors and preventable problems in almost one quarter (23.6%) of their patient visits. Office administration errors were most frequently identified. According to the physicians� estimates, 23.7% of the errors and events led to minor patient harm, especially increased emotional distress and wasted time for the patient. In this and other studies, participants had different views of when an error is a �nuisance� and when it is a �harm.� Future primary care research is needed to clarify definitions for harm, refine a classification system for errors, and estimate the occurrence of errors.

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The Annals of Family Medicine: 2 (2)
The Annals of Family Medicine
Vol. 2, Issue 2
1 Mar 2004
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The Identification of Medical Errors by Family Physicians During Outpatient Visits
Nancy C. Elder, MaryBeth Vonder Meulen, Amy Cassedy
The Annals of Family Medicine Mar 2004, 2 (2) 125-129; DOI: 10.1370/afm.16

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The Identification of Medical Errors by Family Physicians During Outpatient Visits
Nancy C. Elder, MaryBeth Vonder Meulen, Amy Cassedy
The Annals of Family Medicine Mar 2004, 2 (2) 125-129; DOI: 10.1370/afm.16
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