Attitudes of General Medicine Students (Interns) Towards Medical  Error Disclosure at Iran University of Medical Sciences, 2022-2023

Mohammad  Rafiezadeh; Mahshad  Noroozi; Akram  Hashemi; Saeedeh Saeedi  Tehrani

doi:10.18502/ijme.v18i27.21450

Mohammad Rafiezadeh General Surgery Resident. School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mahshad Noroozi Assistant Professor. Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Akram Hashemi Associated Professor. Center for Educational Research in Medical Science (CERMS), Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran; Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Saeedeh Saeedi Tehrani Assistant Professor. Department of Medical Ethics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijme.v18i27.21450

Keywords: Medical error, Interns, Error disclosure, Medical ethics, Professional ethics.

Abstract

Physicians often refrain from disclosing their errors for various reasons, including fear of legal claims and the stigma of incompetence. Engaging in professional behavior requires not only adequate knowledge but also a proper attitude toward the behavior in question. Accordingly, understanding physicians’ attitudes is essential for preventing unprofessional conduct under different circumstances. Consequently, the present study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of medical interns toward the disclosure of medical errors at Iran University of Medical Sciences. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among all interns admitted in 2017 at Iran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using the Persian version of the Medical Errors Scale and analyzed with SPSS software version 26. Among the 186 participants, 66% reported having committed a medical error. Only 21% of interns fully disclosed errors that had no significant adverse effects on the patient, and the final outcome was favorable. In contrast, in situations where errors resulted in severe consequences for the patient, 31% of participants fully disclosed the error.

The findings indicated that most interns avoid fully disclosing their medical errors. Fear of legal action by patients and concerns about being underestimated by them were the two primary reasons reported by participants for nondisclosure of errors. Therefore, further studies are required to propose effective solutions and improve physicians’ performance and patient safety.