Perceptions of preventable medical errors in Alberta, Canada

Objectives (i) To compare public perceptions of the frequency, responsibility, causes and solutions for preventable medical errors for persons who report and do not report having experienced a preventable medical error while receiving healthcare services in Alberta, Canada. (ii) To describe public o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal for quality in health care 2008-04, Vol.20 (2), p.115-122
Main Authors: Northcott, Herbert, Vanderheyden, Laura, Northcott, Jennifer, Adair, Carol, McBrien-Morrison, Charlene, Norton, Peter, Cowell, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alberta
Confidentiality
Consumer Behavior
Disclosure
Female
health service quality
Health Services Research
Humans
Incidence
Male
medical errors
Medical Errors - prevention & control
Middle Aged
National Health Programs - organization & administration
patient safety
Public Opinion
public satisfaction
Quality of Health Care - organization & administration
Time Factors
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Summary:Objectives (i) To compare public perceptions of the frequency, responsibility, causes and solutions for preventable medical errors for persons who report and do not report having experienced a preventable medical error while receiving healthcare services in Alberta, Canada. (ii) To describe public opinion about confidentiality and disclosure of preventable medical error. (iii) To examine the relationship between reporting preventable medical error and perceived quality of the healthcare system. Methods Population-based telephone survey. Households selected by random digit dialing and individual in household selected by most recent birthday. Province of Alberta, Canada. Representative sample of adult Albertans (N = 1500). Public perceptions of the frequency, responsibility, causes and solutions for preventable medical error; opinions about confidentiality and disclosure; perceived quality of the healthcare system. Results Five hundred and fifty-nine (37.3%; 95% CI 34.8–39.8%) of 1500 respondents reported that they or a family member had ever experienced a preventable medical error while receiving health care in Alberta, Canada. Respondents who reported a preventable medical error were more likely to believe that preventable medical errors occur with greater frequency, were less likely to think that their doctor would tell them if a preventable medical error was made in their care, and tended to rate the quality of the healthcare system less favourably. Conclusion This paper provides healthcare managers and policymakers with insight into the public's perceptions of preventable medical error and may facilitate the development of strategies to improve patient safety, public confidence and public satisfaction with the healthcare system.
ISSN:1353-4505
1464-3677
DOI:10.1093/intqhc/mzm067