Medical Error Prevention
Hours: 2.00
Do no harm: A fundamental principle of medical care, yet thousands of patients suffer harm from medical errors every day. Some reports estimate annual deaths from medical errors in the U.S. to be as high as 250,000, but a more recent study revealed that number may be highly inflated (Rodwin et al., 2020). The actual number of preventable deaths estimated by a meta-analysis was 22,165, with most occurring in people expected to have less than 3 months to live. For those who were expected to live longer than 3 months, 7,150 deaths occurred. The difference may be due to over-estimation or from initiatives to reduce errors since initial values were released. Regardless, healthcare professionals are obliged to do no harm, so continued efforts are needed to reduce medical errors.
This course is intended to educate nurses, physicians, and physician assistants on the causes and strategies for preventing medical errors.
Do no harm: A fundamental principle of medical care, yet thousands of patients suffer harm from medical errors every day. Some reports estimate annual deaths from medical errors in the U.S. to be as high as 250,000, but a more recent study revealed that number may be highly inflated (Rodwin et al., 2020). The actual number of preventable deaths estimated by a meta-analysis was 22,165, with most occurring in people expected to have less than 3 months to live. For those who were expected to live longer than 3 months, 7,150 deaths occurred. The difference may be due to over-estimation or from initiatives to reduce errors since initial values were released. Regardless, healthcare professionals are obliged to do no harm, so continued efforts are needed to reduce medical errors. This course is intended to educate nurses, physicians, and physician assistants on the causes and strategies for preventing medical errors.
South Carolina Board of Nursing
South Carolina Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
West Virginia Board of Registered Nursing
West Virginia Board of Registered Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
New Mexico Board of Nursing
New Mexico Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Mississippi Board of Nursing
Mississippi Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
North Dakota Board of Nursing
North Dakota Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
California Board of Registered Nursing
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, CEP# 13791
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
American Nurses Credentialing Center
In support of improving patient care, Relias LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Nurses will receive 2.00 Nursing Contact Hours after successfully completing this course.
District of Columbia Board of Nursing
District of Columbia Board of Nursing Approved Continuing Education program (CEBroker Provider #50-290).
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Florida Board of Nursing
Florida Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Georgia Board of Nursing
Georgia Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Arkansas State Board of Nursing
Arkansas State Board Of Nursing Approved Continuing Education program (CEBroker Provider #50-290).
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
In support of improving patient care, Relias LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Relias LLC designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Florida Board of Medicine
Florida Board of Medicine (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™.
Florida Physician Assistants
Florida Physician Assistants (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Kentucky Board of Nursing
Kentucky Board of Nursing (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Nurses will receive 2.00 contact hours for participating in this course.
Ohio State Medical Board
State Medical Board of Ohio (CEBroker Provider #: 50-290)
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™.
Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (CEBroker Provider #: 50-290)
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™.
Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure (CEBroker Provider #: 50-290)
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™.
New Mexico Medical Board
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™.
South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Tennessee Board Of Medical Examiners
Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Physicians will receive 2.00 AMA PRA category 1 Credits™
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
This activity is approved for 2.00 contact hours.
Ohio Social Worker Board
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CEBroker Provider # 50-290)
This activity is approved for 2.00 contact hours.
Association of Social Work Boards
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Relias LLC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Relias LLC maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 2.00 General continuing education credits.
Course Delivery Format: Asynchronous Distance Learning-interaction includes quizzes with questions and answers, post-tests. This module is Reading-Based Online.
South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners
South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (CEBroker Provider 50-290)
West Virginia Board of Social Work
West Virginia Board of Social Work (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Identify definitions related to patient safety, medical errors, and adverse events.
Discuss risk factors, prevention strategies, and populations most vulnerable to medical errors.
Describe the root cause analysis process for medical errors.
List factors that contribute to the five most misdiagnosed medical conditions.
Outline:
Section 1: Introduction
About This Course
Learning Objectives
Section 2: Medical Errors: Current State, Terminology, and Classifications
The Modern Patient Safety Movement
Terminology
A Framework for Classifying Errors
Review
Summary
Section 3: Contributing Factors to Medical Errors
Small Departures from the Standard of Care
Normalization of Deviance
Unwarranted Variations
Healthcare Complexity
Standardization and High-Reliability Organizations
Clinical Decision Support Tools
Clinical Pathways
Review
Summary
Section 4: Root Cause Analysis
Goals of Root Cause Analysis
The RCA Team
Leadership’s Role in RCA
Event Review Process
Trigger Questions
Actions to Prevent Harm
Review
Summary
Section 5: High Frequency and High Severity Medical Errors
Falls
Suicide
Leadership and Safety Culture
Inadequate Hand-off Communication
Medication Errors
Review
Summary
Section 6: Medical Errors and Vulnerable Populations
Older Adults
Limited Health Literacy and Limited English Proficiency
Children
Review
Summary
Section 7: Diagnostic Errors
Impact of Diagnostic Errors
Complexities in Diagnosis
Patient Harm and Diagnoses
Clinical Reasoning
Cognitive Biases and Debiasing Strategies
Types of Cognitive Biases
Zebra
Review
Summary
Section 8: Common Misdiagnosed Medical Conditions
Cancer
Vascular Conditions
Infections
Timely Response to Complications During Surgery and Post-Operatively
Review
Summary
Section 9: Conclusion
Course Summary
Course Contributors
Resources
References
Subject Matter Expert: Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN
Instructor: Cathryn Ayers, RNRebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN, has experience across multiple healthcare settings including: rural and urban acute care hospitals, public health, ambulatory surgery, higher education, and commercial healthcare learning organizations. Her roles have included: medical/surgical, ED, and OR Staff and Charge Nurse; Director of School Health Services/School Nurse; Public Health Epidemiology and Bioterrorism Preparedness Specialist; Infection Control Practitioner; Quality Management Specialist; Organizational Development Specialist and Educator. Prior to joining Relias as an acute care SME Writer in 2017 and Curriculum Designer in 2021, she provided consultation to Swank Healthcare and was the Director of Education Services for Health.edu, a division of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Rebecca earned a diploma in nursing from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Lubbock, Texas in 1989 and an MBA from Wayland Baptist University in 2010 with an emphasis in healthcare administration.
Disclosure: Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN has no Relevant Financial or Non-Financial Relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
Cathryn Ayers, RN, MSN has nearly 10 years of critical care experience. She was active in multiple committees to improve patient safety, executed staff education activities, and managed the new graduate orientation program for those entering intensive care units. Cathryn obtained a license for massage and bodywork therapy in 2012 and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2016 with a Master of Science in Nursing Education. She has provided telephonic case management services and developed program materials to facilitate positive outcomes for people with rare conditions across the United States. Cathryn has a passion for teaching and helping others to be their best. Disclosure: Cathryn Ayers, RN has no Relevant Financial or Non-Financial Relationship with ineligible companies to disclose.
The target audience for this course is: Nurses; Physician Assistants; Physicians; in the following settings: Acute Care Facility.
Asynchronous/Online Distance Learning; please see certificate details for specifics on delivery format.
Relias has a grievance policy in place to facilitate reports of dissatisfaction. Relias will make every effort to resolve each grievance in a mutually satisfactory manner. In order to report a complaint or grievance please contact Relias.
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Support by completing the web form (https://www.relias.com/help) or by using the chat functionality.
All courses offered by Relias, LLC are developed from a foundation of diversity, inclusiveness, and a multicultural perspective. Knowledge, values and awareness related to cultural competency are infused throughout the course content.
Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply any endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of, or affiliation with, Relias, LLC.
All characteristics and organizations referenced in the following training are fictional. Any resemblance to any actual organizations or persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
To earn continuing education credit for this course you must achieve a passing score of 80% on the post-test and complete the course evaluation.
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Customer Support here.
