Error identification, disclosure, and reporting: practice patterns of three emergency medicine provider types.

OBJECTIVES

To gather preliminary data on how the three major types of emergency medicine (EM) providers, physicians, nurses (RNs), and out-of-hospital personnel (EMTs), differ in error identification, disclosure, and reporting.

METHODS

A convenience sample of emergency department (ED) providers completed a brief survey designed to evaluate error frequency, disclosure, and reporting practices as well as error-based discussion and educational activities.

RESULTS

One hundred sixteen subjects participated: 41 EMTs (35%), 33 RNs (28%), and 42 physicians (36%). Forty-five percent of EMTs, 56% of RNs, and 21% of physicians identified no clinical errors during the preceding year. When errors were identified, physicians learned of them via dialogue with RNs (58%), patients (13%), pharmacy (35%), and attending physicians (35%). For known errors, all providers were equally unlikely to inform the team caring for the patient. Disclosure to patients was limited and varied by provider type (19% EMTs, 23% RNs, and 74% physicians). Disclosure education was rare, with <or=15% of any provider type receiving such instruction. Yet, 59% of physicians had observed another provider disclose an error to a patient. Error discussions are widespread, with all providers indicating they discussed their own as well as the errors of others.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that error identification, disclosure, and reporting challenge all members of the ED care delivery team. Provider-specific education and enhanced teamwork training will be required to further the transformation of the ED into a high-reliability organization.