Medical errors; causes, consequences, emotional response and resulting behavioral change.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Pediatric Medicine

Background:

• Medical errors are a significant concern in resident training.
• Understanding resident responses to errors is crucial for improving patient care and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify causes of medical errors among residents.
• To analyze residents' emotional and behavioral responses to errors.
• To assess behavior changes impacting future training.

Main Methods:

• A confidential questionnaire was administered to 130 postgraduate residents.
• The survey assessed emotional response, learning behavior, and error disclosure.
• Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Main Results:

• Nearly all residents (98.5%) reported medical errors, with fatigue and inadequate experience being common causes.
• Disclosure to senior physicians was 57%, but to patient families was only 11%.
• Errors led to negative emotions but also increased vigilance, advice-seeking, and attention to detail in 93% of residents.

Conclusions:

• Residents experience negative emotions from medical errors but demonstrate positive behavioral changes, enhancing future training.
• Inadequate disclosure of medical errors to patients is a critical issue.
• Improved vigilance and learning behaviors positively impact patient care.