Recommendations For Prevention Of Medical Errors Through An Empirical Investigation Of The Error Reporting Systems Within Acute Care Hospitals In Pennsylvania

Abstract

The researcher investigated the procedures taken by healthcare administrators within twenty-two Pennsylvania acute care hospitals with respect to the prevention of medical errors. Structured interview questions provided relevant data in relation to how healthcare administrators could structure the workplace environment in hopes to prevent the number of medical errors that occur in acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania. Recommendations for prevention include conducting needs assessments the areas of cultural assessment, error reporting system assessment, workplace environment assessment, corrective action procedures assessment, and policies and procedures assessment. Recommendations and implications for conducting the needs assessments are provided in this paper in an effort to bring attention to actions that may be taken by hospital administrators in hopes of reducing the number of medical errors that occur within acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania.