TY - JOUR
T1 - Using focus groups to understand physicians' and nurses' perspectives on error reporting in hospitals.
AU - Jeffe, Donna B.
AU - Dunagan, William Claiborne
AU - Garbutt, Jane
AU - Burroughs, Thomas E.
AU - Gallagher, Thomas H.
AU - Hill, Patricia R.
AU - Harris, Carolyn B.
AU - Bommarito, Kerry
AU - Fraser, Victoria J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding support was provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant no. HS11898-01 . The authors express their thanks to the physicians, nurses, and nurse managers who participated in the focus groups and shared their time and thoughts about patient safety with them; Amy Waterman, Ph.D., Alison Ebers, and Deborah Hofmann, who were instrumental during the recruitment process; and Radhika Desikan, Ph.D., Karl Tetteh, M.B., Ch.B., M.B.A., Anish Ratnam, M.H.A., and Lisa Cardenas, M.H.A., who helped plan the focus groups and analyze transcripts and contributed to an early draft of the manuscript.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - BACKGROUND: To increase error reporting, a better understanding of physicians' and nurses' perspectives regarding medical error reporting in hospitals, barriers to reporting, and possible ways to increase reporting is necessary. METHODS: Nine focus groups--four with 49 staff nurses, two with 10 nurse managers, and three with 30 physicians--from 20 academic and community hospitals were conducted in May-June 2002 in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts characterized participants' perspectives. RESULTS: Although participants knew they should report errors associated with serious adverse events, there was much uncertainty about reporting less serious errors or near misses. Nurses were more knowledgeable than physicians about how to report errors. All groups mentioned barriers to reporting, such as fear of reprisals and lack of confidentiality, time, and feedback after an error is reported. Some physicians doubted the benefit of reporting errors, but, generally, both physicians and nurses agreed that reporting was intended to change practice and policy to promote patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: A culture characterized by anonymous reporting, freedom from repercussions, and feedback about error reports should promote error reporting.
AB - BACKGROUND: To increase error reporting, a better understanding of physicians' and nurses' perspectives regarding medical error reporting in hospitals, barriers to reporting, and possible ways to increase reporting is necessary. METHODS: Nine focus groups--four with 49 staff nurses, two with 10 nurse managers, and three with 30 physicians--from 20 academic and community hospitals were conducted in May-June 2002 in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts characterized participants' perspectives. RESULTS: Although participants knew they should report errors associated with serious adverse events, there was much uncertainty about reporting less serious errors or near misses. Nurses were more knowledgeable than physicians about how to report errors. All groups mentioned barriers to reporting, such as fear of reprisals and lack of confidentiality, time, and feedback after an error is reported. Some physicians doubted the benefit of reporting errors, but, generally, both physicians and nurses agreed that reporting was intended to change practice and policy to promote patient safety. CONCLUSIONS: A culture characterized by anonymous reporting, freedom from repercussions, and feedback about error reports should promote error reporting.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=5444235976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1549-3741(04)30055-9
DO - 10.1016/S1549-3741(04)30055-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 15469124
AN - SCOPUS:5444235976
SN - 1549-3741
VL - 30
SP - 471
EP - 479
JO - Joint Commission journal on quality and safety
JF - Joint Commission journal on quality and safety
IS - 9
ER -