US physicians says current error reporting systems inadequate

The perception that US doctors are unwilling to report medical errors and learn how to prevent them is untrue, according to a new study funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Because most doctors think that current systems to report and share information about errors are inadequate, they rely instead on informal discussions with their colleagues. Consequently, important information about medical errors and how to prevent them often is not shared with the hospital or the health care organization, according to the study, which appears in the January/February issue of Health Affairs.

Doctors want to learn from errors