据估计,全球在2013年有142,000人因医疗疏失而致死的案例;在1990年因此死亡的人数为94,000人。[1]根据约翰·霍普金斯大学在2016年5月发表的一篇报告,美国每年至少有25万人因为医疗疏失而死亡。[10]美国国家医学研究所(英语:National Academy of Medicine)在2000年发表的一份报告,在美国的医院中,由于医疗疏失导致每年估计有44,000至98,000例原本可预防的死亡,以及1,000,000例的超额伤害。[11][12][13]在英国,一项在2000年所做的研究显示,估计每年发生850,000次医疗疏失,造成的损失超过20亿英镑。[14]
非营利组织联合委员会(英语:Joint Commission)发表的《 2007年品质和安全年度报告(Annual Report on Quality and Safety 2007)》发现在医疗卫生提供者之间,或者是提供者与患者及其家庭成员之间的沟通不足,就占医院发生严重疏失原因的五成以上。[42]其他重要原因还有对患者状况评估不足,还有领导能力或者是训练不佳。
虽然美国国家医学研究所所属的美国医疗品质委员会(Committee on Quality of Health Care in America)在其2000年的出版品中认为医疗疏失是"医学学习过程中无可避免的结果" [81],但是到2019年,医事学生开立处方的熟练度和他们在临床实习(英语:Clinical clerkship)的进度该建立如何的关联,仍无资料显示已经达成。[82]
传统上,由于个人犯错,犯错者会受到惩罚。常见应对和防止特定疏失的方法是在系统中的特定节点施以额外的检查,有任何发现和处理的细节均要记录。例如,使用自由流动静脉注射肝素出现错误时,教学人员会教导如何使用静脉注射系统,并在设定静脉输液帮浦时给予特别注意。虽然总体错误的可能因此降低,但是工作量会因需要检查而增加,而工作量本身又可能会产生其他的错误。在一些医院,会定期召开发病率和死亡率会议(英语:Morbidity and mortality conference),讨论并发症或死亡情况,从中学习,或是共同对整体流程做改善。
药物专业人员对在开立处方、调制、配药、和给药过程中出错的原因做广泛的研究。早在1930年代,药剂师就与医生合作,挑选出最安全,最有效的药物。[115]这种做法称为配方表系统(Formulary System),药品清单称为配方表。在1960年代,医院开始实施剂型和单位剂量配送系统,以减少施用在住院患者药物和剂量错误的风险;[116]集中式无菌混合服务把静脉注射药物受到污染和感染的风险降低; [117][118]由药剂师直接提供药物资讯和临床决策支援给医生,改善用药的安全与效果。[119]药剂师是公认的药物安全专家,在过去50年中为减少错误和改善护理做出许多贡献。最近,美国政府正尝试采用澳大利亚政府的《高品质使用药物政策(英语:Quality use of medicines)》等措施,来解决患者与药剂师间的沟通和消费知识传授事项。
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