The emotional impact of medical error on Portuguese medical residents - An exploratory study

Abstract

Abstract Background The consequences of the medical error on patients are unquestionable. However, the emotional impact on the health professional that made the error is usually devastating and usually neglected. The present study aimed to study the perception and experiences in a sample of medical residents regarding the emotional impact of the medical error in a clinician. Methods A cross-sectional and exploratory study analyzed a sample of 264 Portuguese residents. A survey with multiple-choice questions was created, taking into account the available scientific literature on this topic. The survey was then shared online within the mailing lists and social groups of Portuguese medical residents. The responses were collected between 14th-29th February 2020. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were carried out using R 3.6.1 and Rstudio 1.2.5033. Results 48,1% of the residents mentioned that at a certain point in their careers, they made a medical error. 98,4% of them had indirect contact (e.g., discussions with colleagues) with scenarios where a medical error could or was made. The residents that made a medical error had mainly feelings of guilt (85,8%), anxiety (73,2%), and frustration (64.6%). 93,7% of the clinicians that made a medical error reported more caution and the implementation of preventive measures in their future practice. 16,5% of them thought about leaving the medical profession. The odds for a medical error are 2,44 higher (95% CI 1,49-4,02) in the later phase of medical residency. Conclusions Although international literature describes the impact of medical error on the clinician, there is no published research on this theme in Portugal. The results allowed us to explore the emotional impact of these events and underline the unmet need for psychological support for the health professional. This exploratory study may serve as support for other research studies on this matter with a more robust methodology and a bigger sample size. Key messages Medical error is frequent and has an emotional impact on medical residents. Need for further research in Portugal and the creation of programs for psychological support.