A Comparative Study On Medical Errors In Hospitals Related To Integration

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Integrated care is a term used to bring inputs, management, service delivery, and organization of services together concerning treatment, diagnostic services, health promotion, and rehabilitation services. Medical errors have a contributory role in the cause of patient mortality and morbidity. This study intended to light the significance of integration in hospitals to overcome medical errors.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was descriptive and retrospective. Secondary data were collected from the NABH assessment reports, clinical audits, and administrative reports of three consecutive years from the 18 NABH-accredited hospitals in India.

RESULT: The study found 0.93% and 2.21% of prescription errors, 0.11% and 0.32% of medicine errors, 0.72% and 1.84% of diagnostic errors, and 0.07% and 0.13% adverse errors in integrated and nonintegrated hospitals respectively. Paired sample t-test was done to determine statistical significance. A study found a statistically significant difference in the integrated and nonintegrated hospitals relate to prescription error (p=0), medicine error (p=0), diagnostic error (p=0), and adverse error (p=0), at the significance level of 0.05.

CONCLUSION: Integration in the hospitals for core services can prove to be one of the feasible solutions for reduced medical errors and increased patient satisfaction.