Open AccessMedical errors: Moral and ethical considerations
Author(s) -
Wilfred Bonney
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of hospital administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1927-7008
pISSN - 1927-6990
DOI - 10.5430/jha.v3n2p80
Subject(s) - workflow , health care , patient safety , medical practice , engineering ethics , health professionals , medical ethics , psychology , moral dilemma , ethical issues , medicine , medical education , social psychology , political science , computer science , engineering , law , psychiatry , database
Medical errors are an inevitable part of the practice of medicine and pose a significant threat to the safety of patients. Improper management of healthcare professionals, clinical workflow processes, and information systems often leads to medical errors. Disclosure of medical errors to patients and family members serves as a catalyst for litigation and thus, the establishment of appropriate moral and ethical standards cannot be ignored when implementing solutions to remedy the situation. In this paper, a systematic literature review was used to explore and evaluate the moral and ethical issues that confront the healthcare industry as a result of medical errors. The practical implications of medical errors were also discussed.