Medication Mistakes Linked to Stress, Workload
9May2013
Doctors make more medication errors, such as administering the wrong medicine or the wrong dose, when they are under stress or dealing with a large workload, a new study concludes.
The findings appeared recently in the Journal for Healthcare Quality. The 18-month study involved self-reported medication errors made by 185 doctors working at four teaching hospitals.
The researchers found a correlation between medication errors and high workload, high patient caseload and emotional stress. Doctors who reported lower levels of sleep also were more likely to have made medication errors.
The errors included actual errors in administration of medicine and near-misses.
Medication errors are among the most common types of mistakes made by doctors and other healthcare providers, leading to patient injury and death. As the researchers pointed out, reducing medical errors is crucial to improving patient safety and the quality of healthcare.
The medical malpractice lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC represent victims of medical negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical personnel in Seattle and across Washington.
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