What Is a Clinical Error?

In the IOM report 'To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System' [1], clinical error was defined as 'the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim'. In other words, errors can arise in planning actions or in executing them.

What is considered medical error?

A medical error is a preventable adverse effect of care ("iatrogenesis"), whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of a disease, injury, syndrome, behavior, infection, or other ailment.

What are some examples of medical errors?

Eight common medical errors that harm patients are: