This is a simplified definition, but it has all the essential elements of a medical error.  The typical “chain of events” that leads to a medical error has several. One or all of these may be in place, but the end result is always the same: the patient suffered harm that could have been prevented with better planning, adequate knowledge, and/or a higher level of attention and communication. This is illustrated below.

Poor planning/Lack of knowledge/No communication/Inattention

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Adverse effect/Harm

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Preventable Event

Notice these two parts of the definition: preventable and adverse effect. Preventable obviously means that the error should not have happened. But even more importantly, it indicates that the error should not have happened if someone had been using appropriate levels of: 1) attention; 2) communication; 3) knowledge, and; 4) planning. Adverse effect/harm means that the client suffered harm or discomfort because of the error. In the three examples that are medical errors the patient suffered harm, and the harm was preventable if the CNA had used appropriate levels of attention, communication, knowledge and planning.

Both parts of the definition of a medical error are important. A medical error is not simply any mistake by a healthcare professional; it is an adverse effect or harm that could have been prevented by a reasonable, properly trained professional who was paying attention, planning, etc.  As a health care professional, you will need to focus on what is considered appropriate levels of attention, knowledge, and planning because those are the aspects of your performance that are evaluated.

Learning Break: An adverse effect or harm is an important part of the definition of a medical error. However, you should not consider errors or mistakes in patient care that do not cause harm to be unimportant. Errors and mistakes have the potential to do damage. And as a healthcare professional you are expected to follow rules, procedures, standards, etc., and you can be disciplined for failing to do so, even if a medical error does not occur.