Medical Errors Reporting Among Healthcare Professionals: Innovative Solutions

Abstract

Introduction:

Medical errors represent a significant challenge to patient safety in healthcare settings worldwide. Despite the known impact of these errors, underreporting by healthcare professionals remains a substantial barrier to improving patient safety and care quality. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of innovative solutions for reporting medical errors among healthcare professionals.

Methods:

A comprehensive search strategy was employed across multiple databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, to identify relevant interventional studies and clinical trials. The inclusion criteria targeted recent interventions aimed at enhancing error reporting, while exclusion criteria omitted non-interventional studies, reviews, and studies not in English. The selection process involved an initial screening of titles and abstracts, followed by a full-text review of selected studies. Data on the interventions, sample sizes, and outcomes were extracted, with a particular focus on the effectiveness of interventions measured through risk ratios and percentages with confidence intervals.

Results:

The review included ten studies, revealing that interventions such as digital reporting systems, training programs, feedback mechanisms, and organizational culture changes can significantly increase the reporting of medical errors. Risk ratios ranged from 1.4 to 3.0, indicating a substantial improvement in reporting rates post-intervention. Studies implementing digital reporting tools combined with cultural initiatives showed the most considerable increase in error reporting, highlighting the importance of multifaceted approaches.

Conclusions:

Innovative interventions, particularly those integrating technology with efforts to shift organizational culture, are effective in improving medical error reporting among healthcare professionals. The findings underscore the potential of these strategies to enhance patient safety by promoting transparency and accountability in reporting errors. Future research should explore the sustainability of these interventions and their long-term impact on patient outcomes.