title: Medical errors education: A prospective study of a new educational tool.
abstract: Medical errors training is an important yet often overlooked aspect of medical education. A medical errors educational session was developed for rotating medical students (MSs) with prospective analysis of the educational tool. Students completed the same 12-question test before and after the educational session and a long-term posttest 1 to 12 months later. Control students who did not take part in the session completed the test twice with a 6-month interval. In all, 51 students completed a pretest and a short-term posttest, and 35 students completed a long-term posttest. Test scores for the study group increased significantly from a pretest mean of 29.3% to a short-term posttest mean of 73.7% ( P < .001) and a long-term posttest mean of 49.1% (P < .001). Long-term test scores for 24 control group students were significantly lower (P < .001). This brief educational intervention led to statistically significant improved performance in general understanding of medical errors and could be a useful tool to enhance MS awareness and proactive handling of medical errors.
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. jpaxton1@hfhs.org
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Paxton
authors.forename: Ilan S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Rubinfeld
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States