Types, Examples & What You Need to Know

Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States, with researchers at Johns Hopkins estimating that medical errors lead to more than 250,000 deaths per year—more deaths than motor vehicle accidents (43,458), breast cancer (42,297), or AIDS (16,516) combined.

What Are Medical Errors?

Medical errors are preventable adverse events that occur during healthcare delivery. These healthcare system errors can happen at any stage of patient care, from diagnosis to treatment to follow-up. Understanding the types of medical errors and examples of medical errors is crucial for patients who want to protect themselves and recognize when something goes wrong.

Healthcare professionals are generally professional, dedicated, and caring people, but humans make mistakes. Making their job harder is the for-profit healthcare system in the United States, where the goal of ever-higher profits is often at odds with providing quality care. Under-training, understaffing, and other penny-pinching measures lead to preventable medical mistakes and deaths.

The Top 5 Medical Errors: Most Common Types

When people ask "what are the top 5 medical errors," the answer based on frequency and severity includes:

1. Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis - The most common medical error
2. Medication Errors - Wrong drugs, dosages, or contraindications
3. Surgical Errors - Wrong-site surgery and complications
4. Laboratory Test Errors - Failure to order, perform, or act on tests
5. Communication Failures - Poor handoffs and ignored patient concerns

These five types of medical errors account for the majority of healthcare mistakes that result in patient harm.

Understanding the Root Causes of Medical Errors

According to the landmark 2000 consensus study report "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System" by the Institute of Medicine, 70 percent of all medical errors are preventable. The study identified the main causes of medical errors in healthcare:

Types of Medical Errors by Category:

1. Technical errors (44 percent) - Mistakes in procedures, surgery, or medical techniques
2. Diagnostic errors (17 percent) - Misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or missed diagnosis
3. Failure to prevent injury (12 percent) - Not taking proper preventive measures
4. Medication errors (10 percent) - Wrong drugs, dosages, or drug interactions

Examples of Medical Errors: Real-World Cases

Medical error examples include everything from a surgeon operating on the wrong body part to a pharmacist dispensing the wrong medication. These healthcare errors occur across all medical specialties and can happen to anyone, regardless of the hospital's reputation or the doctor's experience.

The most common medical error—misdiagnosis—affects millions of patients annually. Other examples of medical errors include hospital-acquired infections, premature discharge, and communication breakdowns between healthcare providers.

One of the study's main conclusions is that flaws in the "systems, processes, and conditions" at our nation's medical facilities create an environment that is conducive to mistakes and does too little to prevent them. For example, the study notes "patient-care units in hospitals with certain full-strength drugs, even though they are toxic unless diluted, have resulted in deadly mistakes."

The 10 Most Common Types of Medical Errors

Understanding common medical errors can help patients recognize when something goes wrong and take appropriate action. Here are the most frequently reported medical mistakes in healthcare:

1. Failure to Order, Perform, or Act on Lab Tests

Errors during essential laboratory tests can greatly affect the way treatment is delivered, often with devastating results. Sometimes, the proper test is not ordered. Other times, the test is administered improperly, or the way the results are read is incorrect. Sometimes the testing is done properly, and yet the logical course of action is never taken. Any of these medical malpractice errors can result in preventable injury or death for the patient.

2. Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis - The Most Common Medical Error

What is the most common medical error? Based on survey data, misdiagnosis is the most common medical error of all. This type of medical mistake is also one of the most dangerous, precisely because it can be so difficult to spot until it's too late.

Examples of diagnostic errors include:

• Cancer misdiagnosed as benign conditions
• Heart attacks dismissed as anxiety
• Strokes misidentified as migraines
• Infections overlooked or misidentified

A late diagnosis or misdiagnosis of a medical condition can result in preventable injury or death. When the doctor or hospital fails to properly diagnose an issue that should have been identified and the patient's condition becomes worse due to the wrong treatment, late treatment, or no treatment at all, it becomes medical malpractice.

How to spot it: When in doubt about your diagnosis and treatment, always confirm with a second medical professional.

3. Medication Errors - Wrong Drugs, Dosages, and Interactions

According to a report by the CRICO insurance program, a division of the Harvard Medical Institutions, Inc., one of every nine medical malpractice cases is related to a medication error. Even worse, 38% of these errors are fatal (compared to 18% of other medical malpractice cases). The FDA estimates that over 1 million patient injuries, complications, and deaths are directly caused by prescription errors annually.

Common types of medication errors include:

• Wrong medication prescribed or dispensed
• Incorrect dosage (too high or too low)
• Prescribing medications that interact dangerously with existing drugs
• Ignoring patient allergies or medical history
• Failing to inform patients about side effects
• Medication errors during hospital administration

Examples of medication errors:

• A patient with a penicillin allergy receiving amoxicillin
• Prescribing adult doses to children
• Mixing up sound-alike drug names (like Celebrex and Celexa)

How to spot it: Thoroughly read all instructions and labels that come with your medication, and see the doctor immediately if you experience adverse effects.

4. Applying the Wrong Treatment

In medical circles, there is an established protocol to avoid a WSPE, which is an acronym that refers to a Wrong Side (or Site), Wrong Patient, or Wrong Procedure Error. Poor communication or haste can lead to doctors operating on the wrong side (e.g, removing the wrong kidney) or area of the body (e.g., operating on the wrong part of the spine), performing a scheduled procedure on the wrong patient, or performing the wrong procedure. These are called "never events," meaning that they should never happen and are always considered medical malpractice.

How to spot it: Look for signs of worsening symptoms in the week after surgery, or for new symptoms that never go away. If you've had a nightmare about someone operating on you for no reason, you've already experienced the terror of a wrong-site surgical error.

5. Items Left Inside the Patient During Surgery

During surgery, objects can be left inside the patient, inhibiting the healing process of the original health issue or creating a new and serious problem. Called "retained objects" in the medical profession, these items have included medical tools, such as clamps, but more frequently, they are small sponges or absorbent pads used to control bleeding. Retained objects are one of the profession's "never events," meaning there is never an excuse for them. Every object, to the smallest sponge, should be counted before and after surgery to avoid misplacing them and jeopardizing the health of the patient.

6. Botched Surgery

Many things can go wrong during surgery, and if the established standard of care is not rigorously followed, the patient can have a serious injury, which can result in death. In some cases, the injury is cosmetic, such as scarring, which can mean permanent disfiguration. Botched surgeries can also have life-threatening consequences, such as serious infection, organ damage, and nerve damage. It can also result in circulatory system issues, such as internal bleeding, hematomas, and dangerous blood clots (i.e., DVTs).

7. Prematurely Discharging the Patient

When a patient is released before they are ready, and there are problems at home that can only be properly handled at a hospital, it results in a case of medical malpractice. In some cases, the doctor makes an error in judging the recovering patient's condition when the patient is released. In other situations, the hospital is releasing at-risk patients in an unsafe timeframe because the hospital is busy or simply trying to increase profitability.

How to spot it: If you feel like the discharge is happening too soon, ask yourself if you can get around and function normally without any assistance. If not, you may have been discharged too quickly.

8. Hospital-Acquired Infections

Sepsis and infection are leading causes of death in the hospital, and both can be fatal if left untreated. With millions of Americans experiencing sepsis every year, it's important to know the symptoms so you can seek help immediately.

How to spot it: Watch for fever, chills, confusion, and rapid breathing. If you became sick after basic blood draws or other testing procedures, you may want to investigate further.

9. Unnecessary Operations

With any surgery, there is risk, and physicians must weigh the benefits versus that risk, often in consultation with a well-informed patient. Subjecting a person to the risks associated with a surgery that is not recommended for the situation is a serious form of medical malpractice, and it's more common than you might think. According to an article in the USA Today, "unnecessary surgeries might account for 10% to 20% of all operations in some specialties, including a wide range of cardiac procedures — not only stents, but also angioplasty and pacemaker implants — as well as many spinal surgeries."

This also extends to unnecessary testing. Contrary to popular belief, repeated exposure to CT and MRI scans can be dangerous for your health. Additionally, hundreds of people experience infections from basic blood draws and other testing procedures each year.

10. Failing to Check on the Patient or Ignoring Patient Concerns

Healthcare professionals have a duty to listen to their patients and follow up appropriately. Although it is common for people to report ailments that are less serious than they might seem, the physician must take patients' claims seriously and investigate the symptoms and concerns. There is a standard of care in which health issues can be ruled out, but only if the physician is paying attention to the patient.

Failure to follow up can become negligence if there is not timely communication from the doctor or healthcare facility (e.g., hospital or doctor's office) with the patient, regarding appointments, instructions, questions about the patient's well-being, test results, and other information. This type of failure to follow up can occur in the hospital or after the patient has been released.

Why Do Medical Errors Occur?

Medical errors in healthcare happen for several reasons:

• System failures: Poor communication between departments
• Human factors: Fatigue, stress, and cognitive overload
• Technology issues: Electronic health record errors
• Inadequate training: Insufficient preparation for complex procedures
• Time pressure: Rushed decisions in busy healthcare environments
• Poor teamwork: Lack of coordination among healthcare providers

How Common Are Medical Errors?

Medical errors are alarmingly common in the United States healthcare system. Studies show that:

• Medical errors affect 1 in 10 patients globally
• Up to 400,000 people die annually from preventable medical errors
• Medical mistakes cost the healthcare system billions of dollars yearly
• Most medical errors are preventable with proper systems and protocols

Preventing Medical Errors: What Patients Can Do

While healthcare providers bear primary responsibility for preventing medical mistakes, patients can take steps to protect themselves:

• Ask questions about your diagnosis and treatment
• Keep an updated list of all medications and allergies
• Seek second opinions for major procedures
• Verify that healthcare providers wash their hands
• Speak up if something doesn't seem right
• Bring a family member to important appointments

The Financial and Human Cost

These preventable injuries and deaths due to medical errors cost U.S. citizens between $17 billion and $29 billion in terms of lost income, lost household production, disability, and health care costs, according to estimates. When a family member is the victim of a medical error that leads to a serious injury or even death, the financial cost is the last thing on our minds. However, the reality is that medical errors not only inflict pain and suffering but they can also present enormous financial costs and losses to the victims and their families.

Is the Care You Received Considered Malpractice?

Every error made by a doctor is not malpractice. There must be specific criteria met. The care you received must be below the standard of care that another doctor in the same area of practice would have provided in a similar situation.

With so many examples of medical errors, it might sound like an easy feat to hold negligent practitioners accountable. However, for many patients, it can feel both overwhelming and confusing to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the negligent party, precisely because it's difficult to identify where a medical error took place.

If you suspect a medical error caused a serious injury or medical issue for you or a loved one, you need legal advice from a law firm that specializes in medical malpractice. Brown & Barron has award-winning medical malpractice attorneys with unique advantages in handling complex medical error cases:

Why Choose Brown & Barron for Medical Error Cases:

• In-House Medical Expertise: Our team includes Heather Frame, RN, BSN, a registered nurse paralegal who brings critical medical knowledge to evaluate the complexities of your case
• Proven Results: Over $175 million recovered in medical malpractice and personal injury cases, including a $35 million medical malpractice verdict and an $8.3 million settlement for a missed bowel perforation
• Extensive Trial Experience: Our attorneys have tried 100+ tort cases with 137+ combined years of experience, ensuring we're prepared to take your case to court if necessary
• Specialized Focus: We concentrate specifically on medical malpractice, birth injuries, and catastrophic injury cases, giving us deep expertise in medical error litigation

We will investigate the facts in your case, get to the truth, and fight for the fair financial settlement your family deserves.

To determine if your medical treatment failed to meet the medical standard of care, call (410) 698-1717 for a free case evaluation or click here to contact us online.