How Communication “Failed” or “Saved the Day”: Counterfactual Accounts of Medical Errors
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How Communication “Failed” or “Saved the Day”: Counterfactual Accounts of Medical Errors. / Street, Richard L; Petrocelli, John V; Amroze, Azraa; Bergelt, Corinna; Murphy, Margaret; Wieting, J Michael; Mazor, Kathleen M.
In: J PATIENT EXPERIENCE, Vol. 7, No. 6, 12.2020, p. 1247-1254.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - How Communication “Failed” or “Saved the Day”: Counterfactual Accounts of Medical Errors
AU - Street, Richard L
AU - Petrocelli, John V
AU - Amroze, Azraa
AU - Bergelt, Corinna
AU - Murphy, Margaret
AU - Wieting, J Michael
AU - Mazor, Kathleen M
N1 - © The Author(s) 2020.
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Communication breakdowns among clinicians, patients, and family members can lead to medical errors, yet effective communication may prevent such mistakes. This investigation examined patients' and family members' experiences where they believed communication failures contributed to medical errors or where effective communication prevented a medical error ("close calls"). The study conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended responses to an online survey of patients' and family members' past experiences with medical errors or close calls. Of the 93 respondents, 56 (60%) provided stories of medical errors, and the remaining described close calls. Two predominant themes emerged in medical error stories that were attributed to health care providers-information inadequacy (eg, delayed, inaccurate) and not listening to or being dismissive of a patient's or family member's concerns. In stories of close calls, a patient's or family member's proactive communication (eg, being assertive, persistent) most often "saved the day." The findings highlight the importance of encouraging active patient/family involvement in a patient's medical care to prevent errors and of improving systems to provide meaningful information in a timely manner.
AB - Communication breakdowns among clinicians, patients, and family members can lead to medical errors, yet effective communication may prevent such mistakes. This investigation examined patients' and family members' experiences where they believed communication failures contributed to medical errors or where effective communication prevented a medical error ("close calls"). The study conducted a thematic analysis of open-ended responses to an online survey of patients' and family members' past experiences with medical errors or close calls. Of the 93 respondents, 56 (60%) provided stories of medical errors, and the remaining described close calls. Two predominant themes emerged in medical error stories that were attributed to health care providers-information inadequacy (eg, delayed, inaccurate) and not listening to or being dismissive of a patient's or family member's concerns. In stories of close calls, a patient's or family member's proactive communication (eg, being assertive, persistent) most often "saved the day." The findings highlight the importance of encouraging active patient/family involvement in a patient's medical care to prevent errors and of improving systems to provide meaningful information in a timely manner.
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373520925270
DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373520925270
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 33457572
VL - 7
SP - 1247
EP - 1254
JO - J PATIENT EXPERIENCE
JF - J PATIENT EXPERIENCE
SN - 2374-3743
IS - 6
ER -
