Teamwork breakdowns in resident groups lead to medical errors

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November 21, 2007

In a recent study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine, communication and teamwork breakdowns caused a large number of medical errors, resulting in patient harm or death, reports American Medical News. The study analyzed 889 medical liability claims and found that in 240 instances, residents were part of the reason for the medical error. Of those errors, 70% were tied to a lack of teamwork, including insufficient supervision on the part of physicians.

The data, gathered prior to 2001, was collected from legal documents and patient records, which differs from many surveys about resident behaviors. Such surveys often are based on resident and physician interviews, says the article. Part of the solution to this problem remains in striking the balance between resident supervision and autonomy.

To read the article, click here.