Abstract
This introductory chapter covers general principles of how errors occur and how they can potentially be prevented. The definition of medical error is reviewed, and various classification schemas for the identification of different error types are investigated. Two well-known error causation models are compared and contrasted. The second half of the chapter focuses on error detection methodology and potential ways to reduce errors. Various quality improvement methods are reviewed. Finally, the challenging concept cognitive errors at the interpretative level are evaluated.
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© 2019 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Smith, M.L., Raab, S.S. (2019). General Principles of How Errors Occur and How They May Be Reduced. In: Nakhleh, R., Volmar, K. (eds) Error Reduction and Prevention in Surgical Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18464-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18464-3_1
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