We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice

Patient safety research in human medicine has identified the causes and common types of medical error and subsequently informed the development of interventions which mitigate harm, such as the WHO’s safe surgery checklist. There is no such evidence available to the veterinary profession. This study...

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Main Authors: Oxtoby, C., Ferguson, E., White, K., Mossop, L.
Format: Article
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2015
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42770/
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author Oxtoby, C.
Ferguson, E.
White, K.
Mossop, L.
author_facet Oxtoby, C.
Ferguson, E.
White, K.
Mossop, L.
author_sort Oxtoby, C.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Patient safety research in human medicine has identified the causes and common types of medical error and subsequently informed the development of interventions which mitigate harm, such as the WHO’s safe surgery checklist. There is no such evidence available to the veterinary profession. This study therefore aims to identify the causes and types of errors in veterinary practice, and presents an evidence based system for their classification. Causes of error were identified from retrospective record review of 678 claims to the profession’s leading indemnity insurer and nine focus groups (average N per group=8) with vets, nurses and support staff were performed using critical incident technique. Reason’s (2000) Swiss cheese model of error was used to inform the interpretation of the data. Types of error were extracted from 2978 claims records reported between the years 2009 and 2013. The major classes of error causation were identified with mistakes involving surgery the most common type of error. The results were triangulated with findings from the medical literature and highlight the importance of cognitive limitations, deficiencies in non-technical skills and a systems approach to veterinary error.
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spelling nottingham-427702020-05-04T17:18:23Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42770/ We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice Oxtoby, C. Ferguson, E. White, K. Mossop, L. Patient safety research in human medicine has identified the causes and common types of medical error and subsequently informed the development of interventions which mitigate harm, such as the WHO’s safe surgery checklist. There is no such evidence available to the veterinary profession. This study therefore aims to identify the causes and types of errors in veterinary practice, and presents an evidence based system for their classification. Causes of error were identified from retrospective record review of 678 claims to the profession’s leading indemnity insurer and nine focus groups (average N per group=8) with vets, nurses and support staff were performed using critical incident technique. Reason’s (2000) Swiss cheese model of error was used to inform the interpretation of the data. Types of error were extracted from 2978 claims records reported between the years 2009 and 2013. The major classes of error causation were identified with mistakes involving surgery the most common type of error. The results were triangulated with findings from the medical literature and highlight the importance of cognitive limitations, deficiencies in non-technical skills and a systems approach to veterinary error. BMJ Publishing Group 2015-10-31 Article PeerReviewed Oxtoby, C., Ferguson, E., White, K. and Mossop, L. (2015) We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice. Veterinary Record, 177 (17). p. 438. ISSN 0042-4900 http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/177/17/438 doi:10.1136/vr.103331 doi:10.1136/vr.103331
spellingShingle Oxtoby, C.
Ferguson, E.
White, K.
Mossop, L.
We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title_full We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title_fullStr We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title_full_unstemmed We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title_short We need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
title_sort we need to talk about error: causes and types of error in veterinary practice
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42770/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42770/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/42770/