Question

At the large multi-specialty clinic in which you work, there have been two near misses and one medical error because various clinicians did not follow up on patient results. Different caregivers were involved each time. When asked why they failed to follow up, each caregiver said he or she forgot.

Based on what you know, how would you classify the caregivers' behavior?
A. Human error
B. At-risk behavior
C. Reckless behavior
D. None of the above

Answer 1

The caregivers' behavior where they forgot to follow up on patient results could be classified as Human error, as it was an unintentional oversight rather than deliberate neglect or reckless disregard for patient safety. Option A is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the scenarios presented, where various clinicians did not follow up on patient results and cited forgetfulness as the reason, the caregivers' behavior can be classified as Human error. This is due to the fact that they did not intentionally disregard protocols or act with a conscious disregard for patient safety. Instead, their failure to follow up seems like an unintentional oversight.

In complex healthcare environments, where situations can be urgent and complicated, medical professionals may not always apply their knowledge as intended due to various reasons, including cognitive overload or other stressors.

This kind of mistake is usually attributed to human error rather than at-risk or reckless behavior. Reckless behavior would imply a conscious decision to disregard known risks, which does not seem to be the case here.

To help prevent such incidents, healthcare organizations should ensure that systems are in place for proper follow-up and management of patient results to mitigate the risks associated with these types of human errors.