Medical Errors: Classification and Definition
Management plan errors, which occur when a planned treatment or intervention is not completed as intended, are classified as medical errors according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 1
Types of Medical Errors
Medical errors can be classified into several distinct categories:
Management plan errors: These occur when a treatment or intervention is not completed as intended. These account for 37% of all medical errors according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1. These errors often result from system failures rather than individual negligence.
Medication errors: These include errors in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications. About 5.7% of medication orders in pediatric hospitals contain errors, with 35% occurring at the administration stage 1.
Diagnostic errors: These include delays, missed, or incorrect diagnoses, accounting for 7% of errors in NICUs 1.
Distinguishing Between Medical Errors and Negligence
It's important to understand the distinction between medical errors and negligence:
Medical errors are failures in the treatment process that lead to or have potential to lead to patient harm 2. They include management plan errors, medication errors, and diagnostic errors.
Negligence, on the other hand, implies a breach of duty of care and typically involves legal liability. Not all medical errors constitute negligence.
A mistaken diagnosis or prescription would be classified as a medical error, specifically a diagnostic error or medication error 2, 3.
Why Management Plan Errors Are Medical Errors
Management plan errors are particularly significant because:
- They represent a failure in the execution phase of patient care
- They occur when intended treatments are not completed as planned
- They often indicate system vulnerabilities that could lead to more serious adverse events 1
- They are considered preventable with proper systems and protocols
Prevention Strategies
To prevent management plan errors and other medical errors, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
- Implementing standardized protocols and structured communication tools like SBAR
- Fostering a culture of safety and encouraging error reporting without blame
- Utilizing technology such as electronic systems that flag abnormal values
- Improving communication and requiring read-back verification for critical information
- Conducting systematic reviews of near-misses and actual errors 1
Medical errors should be viewed as opportunities to improve healthcare systems rather than occasions for blame, as most errors result from system failures rather than individual negligence.