Patients' concerns about medical errors during hospitalization.

Background: A clear understanding of patients' understanding and perceived risk of medical errors is needed. Multiwave telephone interviews were conducted in 2002 with 1,656 inpatients from 12 Midwestern hospitals regarding patients' conceptualization of medical errors and perceived risk of seven types of medical errors.

Results: Patients defined medical errors to include not only clinical mistakes but also falls, communication problems, and responsiveness.

Patient concerns about medical errors in emergency departments.

Objective: Despite large numbers of emergency encounters, little is known about how emergency department (ED) patients conceptualize their risk of medical errors. This study examines how safe ED patients feel from medical errors, which errors are of greatest concern, how concerns differ by patient and hospital characteristics, and the relationship between concerns and willingness to return for future care.

Methods: Multiwave telephone interviews of 767 patients from 12 EDs were conducted.