AHRQ Patient Safety Network ► What about doctors? The impact of medical errors.

AHRQ Patient Safety Network



What about doctors? The impact of medical errors.

Abd Elwahab S, Doherty E. Surgeon. 2014 Jul 20; [Epub ahead of print].

Patients are the first victims when medical mistakes occur, and studies have indicated that these incidents can also impact clinicians' emotional well-being. This commentary explores the ways errors can affectphysicians, including subsequent feelings of guilt, persistent fear of errors, depression, and high levels of burnout. The authors advocate for organizations to provide counseling for these clinicians and enablediscussions about errors to support learning from the experience.

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