RSS Feeds

Earth Science

Space Science

Life Science

Fields of Scientific Study

Nanotechnology

Cancer

Definitions of The Fields of Scientific Study

One in three medical errors in outpatient services related to process of care rather than treatment

February 04, 2003

One in three medical errors in outpatient services relates to the process of care, rather than treatment, suggests a five year study in Quality and Safety in Health Care.

Process of care includes elements such as making appropriate specialist referrals, ordering the relevant laboratory tests, and adequately reviewing a patient's medical history.

The researchers based their findings on an analysis of the root causes of 1100 errors in outpatient services carried out during the five-year period after the introduction of a blame-free, risk management programme to prevent mistakes being made and enhance patient safety.

The programme applied to outpatient (ambulatory) services, provided to 1.6 million members of a non-profit health maintenance organisation (HMO) in Israel. The programme was directly adapted from what is common practice in the aviation industry.

This aims to detect and prevent error by focusing on faulty systems design rather than on individuals, and by encouraging the open and full reporting of "near misses" as well as accidents. It also provides "real time" feedback and offers support and guidance to staff confronting the consequences of mistakes.

Between November 1996 and August 2001, there were over 2000 incidents reported of which over half (1300) were accidents and near misses with learning potential. Of the 1100 analysed in depth so far, one in five involved general practice, another 20% involved surgery, urology or orthopaedics; one in six involved gynaecology.

But when these figures were analysed as a proportion of the number of doctor consultations, surgery and gynaecology were over-represented.

When errors were analysed by type, one in five were about treatment, such as delays and poor choice of medication. A further 18% concerned errors of judgement, while laboratory and imaging test errors accounted for 15%. Poor communication between doctor and patient made up one in eight of the mistakes. But the largest single category related to process, accounting for a third of all errors.

As a result of the analysis, 470 specific recommendations were made, such as routinely inserting smoking history on medical records. Most (79%) were targeted to systems rather than individual practice. Over half of these have been implemented.

The authors comment that most of risk management and error prevention research worldwide has focused on hospital services, and has ignored outpatient and community services, but that these are just as important and deserve the same attention.

British Medical Journal (BMJ)

Science Research Departments

	Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists by Scientific Explorer Mind blowing experiments to delight and educate young scientists! Erupt a color changing volcano. Mix up magic ooze with a mind of its own. Play with sand that never gets wet. Mix safe chemicals and watch colors change before your eyes. You'll amaze yourself and your friends as you explore the science behind these truly remarkable reactions.
	The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! (Everything Kids Series) by Tom Robinson (Author) Science has never been so easy - or so much fun! With The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book, all you need to do is gather a few household items and you can recreate dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. High school science teach Tom Robinson shows you how to expand your scientific horizons - from biology to chemistry to physics to outer space. You'll discover answers to questions like: Is it possible to blow up a balloon without actually blowing into it? What is inside coins? Can a magnet ever be "turned off"? Do toilets always flush in the same direction? Can a swimming pool be cleaned with just the breath of one person? Get ready to enter the laboratory and learn how to conduct cool experiments, understand scientific terms...
	Scientific Explorer's Disgusting Science - A Kit for Studying the Science of Revolting Things by Scientific Explorer Grow your own friendly germs and fuzzy molds. Mix up a batch of coagulating fake blood. Even make a stinky intestine. learn the science behind unmentionable bodily functions while doing some truly NASTY Experiments. Ages 8+
	The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works (National Geographic) by National Geographic (Author), Marshall Brain (Foreword) A delight for the casual reader, yet so complete and wide-ranging that science buffs and students will welcome it, The Science Book encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one richly illustrated volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, and the most up-to-date investigations are explained in detailed text, and 2,000 vivid illustrationsincluding 3-D graphics and pictogramsmake the information even more accessible and amazing to discover. The Science Book offers both a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those seeking deeper insight into a particular subject. Six major sections, ranging from the universe and planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, encompass everything from microscopic life...
	Scientific Explorer's The Magic Science Wizard's Kit by Scientific Explorer Cast real smoke from your fingertips, make a wizard wand, and whip up color-changing potions in your test tube laboratory. Also included are laminated cards with wizard facts, an instruction booklet with 11 activities, lab equipment, and mysterious wizard powders that will mix together to mystify you!
	Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 by Elenco Electronics Inc Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products Winner We venture even Edison would be intrigued. Prepare to engineer 101 exciting, useful electronic gadgets & play lively electronic games with Snap Circuits Jr! This kit features a great collection of materials! The colorful and easy-to-follow format of the instruction manual makes circuit assembly stress-free and fun. All projects are simple to build and understand. Perfect for the novice engineer. All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. Leave the tools in the garage; everything you need for your electronics learning adventure is included. With Snap Circuits Jr. your understanding of electronics is a SNAP! 101 High Interest Projects Just a few: Flying Saucer, Music Alarm Combo, Pencil Alarm, Space...
	Science: The Definitive Visual Guide by Adam Hart-Davis (Author) This remarkable reference book tells the story of science from earliest times to the present day, taking in everything from ancient Greek geometry to quantum physics, and the wedge to the worldwide web. Exploring science in a thematic, highly approachable manner, each spread takes as its theme a specific event, discovery, invention, experiment, theory, or individual and explains why this subject was so significant in the development of scientific thought and what its impact on history has been. In addition to providing a broad-ranging and comprehensive history of science, the book also explains how science works, employing DK's trademark clarity and visual ingenuity to render tricky scientific subjects easily comprehensible. Science is structured chronologically with five...
	Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Science Kit by Young Scientist Club The Magic School Bus and Ms. Frizzle take Young Scientists on a wild ride into the human body with these breathtaking experiments. Young Scientists bend bones, make joints, map taste buds, expand lungs, build a stethoscope, measure lung capacities and heart rates, perform the iodine starch test, spin glitter, simulate synovial fluid, create a human body poster, and much, much more! This exciting kit includes a life-size poster with eight sheets of body part stickers. So put on your seat belts, students, and get ready to discover The Human Body!
	Scientific Explorer's Tasty Science Chemistry in the Kitchen Kit by Scientific Explorer Who knew science could taste so good? With this kit, you’ll whip up cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more—all in the name of science! Learn what makes cakes rise, candy crystallize, and more real chemistry happen in the kitchen. Tasty Science is packed with ingredients, recipes, activity cards, a test tube laboratory, and lots more to explore the science of taste.
	The Complete Book of Science, Grades 5-6 by School Specialty Publishing (Author) The Complete Book of Science for grades 5 to 6 teaches children important science skills! Children complete a variety of exercises that help them develop a number of skills in this 352 page workbook. Including a complete answer key this workbook features a user-friendly format perfect for browsing, research, and review. Over 4 million in print! The best-selling Complete Book series offers a full complement of instruction, activities, and information about a single topic or subject area. Containing over 30 titles and encompassing preschool to grade 8 this series helps children succeed in every subject area! ...