The Challenge of Medical Errors - Essay Example

Various bodies dealing with matters of human health have set standards on how to handle patients as well as defining safety procedures. While medical professionals tend to observe utmost safety procedures, some medical errors may occur during practice.

The emergency department is prone to medical errors because of the involvement of individual medical practitioners. The influx pattern in the emergency department is another factor that influences the number of errors committed in this department. Some arguments about medical errors committed in the emergency department attest to the fact that medical professionals attending to patients in the emergency department often feel bored because of the inconsistent number of patients that the department receives.

Medical professionals may spend extra time attending to emergency cases. This may influence their concentration ability when attending to other patients.

According to renowned scholar Norman, human beings always err (Schenkel, 2000). Thus, by considering this fact in mind, medical professionals should be extra vigilant when handling patients. Medical errors such as wrong prescriptions are avoidable if the medical professional pays more attention to the patients. Other errors include overdosage, application of wrong procedures when handling a casualty, excessive and X-ray penetrations among others.

Preventions and Safety

The renowned scholar Norman developed a four-point, which he believed the medical professionals should observe.

The first is to understand the source of the error and develop means of avoiding the causes of errors. Second, create a possibility to undo actions. Third, create an environment, which may lead to tracing of the errors. Fourth, change the trends about errors (Schenkel, 2000).

Critics argue that training is essential in eliminating some of the errors committed by medical professionals. A written report, for instance, is important when handling patients. Doctors or nurses may use the written document to identify the requirement of the patient. Personal responsibility is essential in defining the number of errors committed. By exercising care when handling a patient, errors arising from negligence would be avoidable.

The safety of the patients is very essential. When handling patients, for instance, safety procedures should always ring in the mind of the medical professional. Understanding the patient’s problem is vital in limiting the number of problems affecting the patients. Recent research indicates that reliance on computers and other medical facilities helps in improving the safety of the patient (Schenkel, 2000). Reviewing the existing procedures limits the possibility of committing errors or risking the safety of the patient. Attempts aimed at developing efficient methods of handling patients seem to be effective in reducing the number of safety cases. In conclusion, medical errors, safety, and precaution are concepts that dictate the success of the medical career. Despite human nature, most of the errors committed in medical practice are avoidable. Medical professionals can reduce the number of errors by exercising utmost responsibility when handling patients.