Perspective of midwives working at hospitals affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences regarding medical errors

Abstract

Abstract

Background: Committing an error is part of the human nature. No health care provider, despite the mastery of their skills, is immune from committing it. Medical error in the labor and obstetrics wards as well as other health units is inevitable and reduces the quality of health care, leading to accident. Sometimes these events, like the death of mother, fetus, and newborn, would be beyond repair. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspective of gynecological ward providers about medical errors.

Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive–analytical study. Sample size was 94 participants selected using census sampling. The study population included all midwives of four hospitals (Al‑Zahra, Beheshti, Isa Ben Maryam, and Amin). Data were collected by a self‑administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: This study shows that three factors (human, structural, and managerial) have affected medical errors in the labor and obstetrics wards. From the midwifery perspective, human factors were the most important factors with an average score of 73.26% and the lowest score was related to structural factors with an average score of 65.36%. Intervention strategies to reduce errors, service training program tailored to the needs of the service provider, distribution of the tasks at different levels, and attempts to reform the system instead of punishing the wrongdoer were set in priority list.

Conclusions: Based on the results of this study on the perspectives of participants, among the three factors of medical errors (human factors, structural factors, and management factors), human factors are the biggest threat in committing medical errors. Modification in the pattern of teaching by the midwifery professors and their presence in the hospitals, creating a no‑blame culture, and sharing of alerts in medical errors are among appropriate actions in the dimensions of human, structural, and managerial factors.

Key words: Health services, Iran, medical errors, midwives