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Preventing Errors for Healthcare Professionals: Summary
MEDICAL ERRORS AND ETHICS Medical errors and ethics in healthcare revolve around several key concepts: 1. Adverse Events and Error Types : ○ Adverse events are injuries from medical interventions rather than underlying conditions: ■ Errors of Commission : This refers to those injuries arising as a direct consequence of treatment when the medical professional is prescribing a medication or a treatment plan that has harmful interactions with another medication the patient is taking ■ Errors of Omission : This refers to failing to act or failing to perform a specific treatment that was determined for a patient. An example of an error of omission would be a medical professional failing to prescribe a medication from which the patient would likely have benefited • Both types require systematic reporting and classification for prevention 2. Core Ethical Principles : ○ Nonmaleficence : The fundamental "do no harm" principle ○ Beneficence : Duty to produce positive outcomes ○ Autonomy : Patient's right to make informed decisions ○ Paternalism : Protection of patient interests (weak vs. strong) ○ Privacy/Confidentiality : Protecting patient information ○ Justice : Ensuring fair treatment and resource allocation
MEDICAL ERRORS PREVENTION The 1999 Institute of Medicine report, "To Err Is Human," sparked a nationwide focus on medical error prevention, revealing that up to 98,000 annual hospital deaths resulted from medical errors, with over 7,000 specifically related to medications. This revelation prompted the U.S. healthcare system to strengthen its prevention strategies, emphasizing solutions rather than just identifying problems. A key approach to prevention involves creating partnerships between medical professionals and patients to jointly engage in ensuring that the appropriate care is provided in the following manner at the right place, at the right time, to the correct person, and in the safest and most efficient manner possible . Knowledge plays a crucial role in error prevention, with both healthcare providers and patients needing proper education about treatments, medications, and potential risks. The challenge often lies in maintaining up- to-date information, particularly given the vast number of pharmaceutical products and constantly evolving safety guidelines. To address medication errors, which account for nearly 50% of dosing and prescription mistakes, healthcare facilities have implemented automated systems such as bar code medication administration (BCMA). These systems verify the "5 rights" of medication administration: right patient, dose, drug, time, and route. Understanding pharmacological components is essential for error prevention, encompassing three main areas: pharmacodynamics (how drugs affect the body), pharmacokinetics (how drugs move through the body), and therapeutics (drug application in treatment). Healthcare professionals must maintain comprehensive knowledge of these aspects to effectively manage medications, monitor patient responses, and document relevant information. This knowledge enables them to serve as patient advocates and ensure proper medication usage while implementing appropriate rehabilitation interventions and programs.
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