Medical errors across specialties: A systematic review and meta-analysis of global incidence and contributing factors

Background

Medical errors (MEs) refers to the professional negligence or wrongdoing by healthcare providers that result in harm to patients, it can vary significantly across different specialities due to variations in patient populations, diagnostic challenges, treatment complexity, and procedural risks.

Methods

We conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases to identify all relevant published records till 11th August 2023. The analyses were carried out in R studio using the meta package. The mean difference (MD) was used to pool continuous outcomes, while the odds ratio (OR) was used to pool dichotomous outcomes, both with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We used the New Castle Ottawa (NOS) Scale for the observational studies.

Results

We included 63 studies encompassing a diverse range of specialities and involving 376,574 participants. The highest rates of MEs were found in neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, and cardiology. The lowest rates were seen in dramatology, vascular surgery, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and rheumatology. There is a huge gap in research investigations of MEs in Middle Eastern countries.

Conclusion

Medical malpractice is a complicated issue that varies by speciality within the healthcare profession. Errors and neglect can occur in any area of medicine, including surgery and obstetrics, as well as internal medicine and family medicine.