Housestaff and medical student attitudes toward medical errors and adverse events.
Medical students and residents are exposed to medical errors early in the training process, but formal patient safety training remains in its infancy. This survey of medical students and residents at an academic medical center sought to evaluate trainees' knowledge and attitudes toward important safety concepts. Trainees generally understood the importance of safety measures, but noted significant barriers to reporting errors and did not report positive learning experiences when errors occurred. Although the study is hampered by a relatively low response rate, the authors note that these responses may indicate a suboptimal culture of safety that limits the use of patient safety as a learning tool. A prior AHRQ WebM&M commentary discusses the barriers students may face in reporting errors due to the authority gradient, and a prior study explores educational strategies for encouraging resident learning from errors.