MEDICAL ERRORS, PATIENT SAFETY, AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Keywords:
medical errors, patient safety, risk management, adverse events, clinical governance, systems-based approach.Abstract
Medical errors remain a critical challenge within modern healthcare systems, posing significant threats to patient safety and organizational sustainability. Despite advancements in clinical technologies and evidence-based practices, preventable adverse events continue to occur due to complex interactions among human factors, system inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, and organizational culture. This abstract examines the multifaceted nature of medical errors, emphasizing their classification, underlying etiologies, and clinical consequences.
The paper further explores patient safety as a core dimension of healthcare quality, highlighting proactive strategies such as safety culture development, standardized clinical protocols, incident reporting systems, and interprofessional collaboration. Particular attention is given to risk management frameworks that integrate hazard identification, risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and continuous monitoring to minimize harm and enhance clinical outcomes.
References
1. World Health Organization. (2019). Patient safety: Global action on patient safety. Geneva: WHO.
2. Reason, J. (2000). Human error: Models and management. British Medical Journal, 320(7237), 768–770.
3. Institute of Medicine. (2000). To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
4. Vincent, C. (2010). Patient Safety. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
