First, Do No Harm (Gone Wrong): Total-Scale Analysis of Medical Errors Scientific Literature

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Patient safety
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Medical errors contribute significantly to patient morbidity and mortality.
• Quantitative analysis of scientific literature is crucial for identifying trends and insights in medical error research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively analyze the scientific literature on medical errors.
• To identify prevailing research themes, contributing entities, and citation performance.
• To gain new insights into this critical medical research area.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications identified through the Web of Science database.
• Quantitative analysis of 12,415 articles on medical errors.
• Examination of publication trends, institutional contributions, and thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• The United States leads in publications (46.4%), with top institutions in the US, Canada, and UK.
• Key research themes include medication errors, health information technology, intensive care, pediatrics, and mental health impacts (burnout, depression).
• Original research articles constitute the majority (8.1:1 ratio) and are increasing over time.

Conclusions:

• The high prevalence of medical errors underscores the need for robust preventive strategies.
• Digital health technology shows promise for mitigating medical errors.
• Further research on implementing digital health solutions, especially in critical care and pediatrics, is recommended.