To cite: Epner PL, Gans JE, Graber ML. BMJ Qual Saf 2013;22:ii6–ii10. Many diagnostic errors are associated with laboratory testing, and many of these are preventable. However, a reduction in testing-related diagnostic errors (TDE) is hindered by the absence of a well-defined relationship between diagnostic harm and the testing process (whether from laboratory or nonlaboratory sources) as well ...

Within inpatient psychiatric settings exists evidence of a significant risk of violent incidents and incidents of deliberate self-harm. One of the most hidden and preventable mental health problems is the fact that approximately 1,500 suicides take place annually in inpatient hospital facilities throughout the United States. This article focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of risk and s...

Developmental, learning, and behavioral disabilities are a significant public health problem. Environmental chemicals can interfere with brain development during critical periods, thereby impacting sensory, motor, and cognitive function. Because regulation in the United States is based on limited testing protocols and essentially requires proof of harm rather than proof of lack of harm, some un...

In healthcare, serious adverse events and medical errors can easily occur jeopardizing patient safety and continuity of treatment [1]. However, studies have revealed that identifying risks and working on analyzing and mitigating them, have proven to lower down undesirable and preventable healthcare associated events [2]. The Health and Safety Executive defines hazard as ‘’ anything that may cau...

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) defines a "medication error" as "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. At many occasions a medication error can be caught or is rectified before its administ...

© 2017 Indian Journal of Anaesthesia | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow Surgery is performed to save lives and improve the quality of life of patients. However, unsafe surgical care can lead to significant harm. The crude mortality rate after major surgery varies from 0.5% to 5%.[1] In the European Surgical Outcomes Study, an international, 7-day cohort study, 1855 out of the 46,539 adult pa...

Radon gas is a significant health threat linked to thousands of preventable deaths each year. One population that may be at increased risk from harm from radon exposure is African Americans. However, little is known about what African Americans think or know about radon. A theoretically based evaluation of radon awareness and reduction campaigns was conducted with African Americans. The knowled...

In recent decades the practice of female "circumcision" has come under intense international scrutiny, often conceptualized as a violation of women's basic right to health. Although the adverse health consequences of female "circumcision" form the basis of opposition to the practice, anti-circumcision activists, as well as many international medical associations, largely oppose measures to impr...

background avoidable mortality as an indicator for assessing the health system performance has caught the attention of researchers for a long time. in this study we aimed to compare the health system performance using this indicator in rural and urban areas of one of iran’s southern provinces.   methods all deaths (29916) which happened during 2004–2011 in bushehr province were assessed. nolte ...