As many as two of five U.S. adults have reported that they or a loved one has experienced a medical injury. But in a Commonwealth Fund-supported study of patient-reported medical errors, researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that although one of five patients treated on a chemotherapy infusion unit reported an unsafe experience, only 31 percent of these patients actually identified a close call, medical error, or injury.
Instead, the researchers categorized most reports as service quality problems: long waits, miscommunication with clinicians, or dissatisfaction with the environment and amenities. “Patients may perceive that these inconveniences signal problems with the overall process of care,” write the authors, and conclude that the link between safety and service quality merits further study.
