Meta-analysis and Systematic Review of Medical Errors Across Specialties: Bridging the Gap with International Perspectives and Recommendations
Author:
Hemeda Mohamed S.1, Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamed-Aly2, Salim Almaza Ali1, Abdelmola Omran Mohamed2, Shemy Gamal Galal2, Ahmed Samer S3, Arafa Ibrahim Arafa Reyad2, Saqr Yasser M1, Abdelkhalek Hesham Hafez4, Bastawisy Amir5, Elazeem Mostafa A.6, Rashed Khalid A.6, Abdalla Hytham6, Dawood Yahia Mohmmed Ahmed2, Elawamry Mahmoud Ibrahim M2, Elbahrawy Mahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud2, Eid Gaber2, Ali Emadeldeen2, Elaziz Abd Elaziz Shokry Abd2, Alsaid Aldosoky Abd Elaziz6, Ahmed Nashwa1, Elfadle Amr Abu1, Mohamed Mohamed Hafez1, Ramadan Alaa7, Sawy Safwat Salama2, Fayed Badr1, Mohamed Refaat R.6, Abdelrazzak Emad2, Fakhry Mohamed2, Elyamany Mona Ibrahim8, Hassan Adel Ali9, Abouzid Mohamed10, Sayed Heba Youssef1
Affiliation:
1. Port Said University 2. Al-Azhar University 3. Suez University 4. Zagazig University 5. Port Said University, Port Said University 6. AlAzhar University 7. South Valley University 8. Damietta university 9. Helwan University 10. Poznan University of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Medical errors refer to professional negligence or wrongdoing by healthcare providers that could harm patients. It can vary significantly across different specialties due to variations in patient populations, diagnostic challenges, treatment complexity, and procedural risks.
Methods
We conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases to identify all relevant published records till 11th August 2023. The analyses were carried out in R studio using the meta package. The mean difference (MD) was used to pool continuous outcomes, while the odds ratio (OR) was used to pool dichotomous outcomes, both with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We used the New Castle Ottawa (NOS) Scale for the observational studies.
Results
Encompassing diverse specialties, the 63 included studies with 376,574 participants, with a mean age of approximately 40.9 years. Conducted in various countries, the United States was the most reported location. The meta-analysis revealed pooled proportional effect estimates for medication errors in different specialties: neurosurgery 24%, orthopedic surgery 24%, cardiology 20%, general surgery 16%, OB/GYN 15%, internal medicine 12%, anesthesia 10%, cardiothoracic surgery 10%, urology 10%, otolaryngology 8%, pediatrics 8%, family medicine 5%, oncology 5%, ophthalmology 5%, chest 4%, neurology 4%, radiology 4%, dermatology 3%, vascular surgery 3%, gastroenterology 2%, endocrinology 1%, tropical medicine 1%, and rheumatology 0%.
Conclusion
The distribution of medical specialties exhibited diverse occurrence rates: ≥20% for neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, and cardiology; <20% and ≥ 10% for general surgery, OB/GYN, internal medicine, anesthesia, cardiothoracic surgery, and urology. Further research is required to investigate the causative factors in different regions and specialties, particularly those with high medical error rates.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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