Study Quantifies Medical Errors Made Involving Trainees
A study recently published in the e-zine Archives of Internal Medicine by a group of doctors, reports on medical errors involving trainees from closed Malpractice claims. It is well known that medical care by trainees involves some inherent risks, but the types and causes have not been well known until now. This study analyzed malpractice claims which involved errors made by trainees. The claims were from 1984 to 2004 with the errors occurring between 1979 and 2001. Random samples of claims filed with 5 liability insures were used to determine what injuries and harm occurred. A comparison was made between trainee and non-trainees. Among 240 cases errors in judgment at 72%, teamwork breakdowns at 70% and lack of technical competence at 58% were the most prevalent factors in claims. Their study ultimately concluded that handoff of patients from doctor to doctor and lack of proper supervision should be addressed during the graduate medical education and focus on stengthing this lack in in training.
