In the realm of patient safety, understanding the terminology associated with healthcare errors is crucial. These terms not only help in identifying and categorizing errors but also play a pivotal role in developing effective strategies to prevent them. By familiarizing ourselves with this language, we can foster a culture of safety, improve communication among healthcare professionals, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.

by Andrej Robida | Feb 5, 2020   |

How do we call errors in healthcare in our country? 

Vague terminology in itself is detrimental to improving patient safety. The most recent novelty also appeared at the Ministry of Health in 2019 – a “safety deviation”.  This is just as much a euphemism for error as all the others. However, it is true that, in one fell swoop, the number of errors and adverse events due to errors has been reduced to zero by a bureaucratic novelty. In the technical professions, however, they still talk about errors, and I have not yet heard the expression that, for example, a house caught fire due to a “safety deviation- varnostnega odklona” in the electrical wiring. Both the legal and medical professions, the media, and the public persistently use terms such as: doctor error, professional error, nurse error, etc. The term “doctor error” is used because the prevailing opinion is that the person who last “touched” the patient is to blame for the error (thinking is not evidence and does not have to be believed, even if it comes from people or institutions that have a reputation in society; the opinion must be supported by evidence). In the field of medicine, the term “eminence-based medicine” (it has the same abbreviation (EMS) as “evidence-based medicine”) refers to thinking without arguments from someone in high office. Of course, in the case of a harmful event due to an error, in no case is the responsibility of the management of a medical institution or other external organization, which should have regulated patient safety systems a long time ago, but always the responsibility of healthcare professionals working on the front line. The use of the term “doctor error” in the general public, as well as in the media, court proceedings, the legal profession and even in the medical profession, has become established due to its convenience (read: ignorance). This usually has dire consequences for improving patient safety, because the name itself tells us who made the mistake and shows the “culprit”. Thus, no systematic analysis of the event is required. Risks to other patients are not examined, learning stops and patient safety deteriorates due to the culture of fear and its consequences

Gain insights into the most frequently asked questions regarding healthcare errors and their terminology.