Operational process improvement in medical TQM: a case study of human error in using devices

Abstract

Preventing human error in healthcare is a difficult challenge, with multiple approaches to developing prevention methods and tools. The purpose of this article was to construct a method for preventing human error in medical device use from the perspective of Total Quality Management (TQM). Drawing on cases of errors made when using medical devices, error mechanisms were identified. Considering aspects of humans, medical devices, and interactions between these, we investigated error behaviours, as well as their inducing factors and situations. The methods of eliminating those factors causing medical error behaviours were proposed based on the behavioural mechanism of the error. The findings indicate that TQM is an effective way to reduce medical errors.

Keywords:

• medical devices
• human error
• error mechanism
• error factors
• total quality management

Acknowledgements

This research was carried out under the support and cooperation of the QMS-H team. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all the medical institutes, experts, and scholars on the QMS-H team for their help in completing this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by PhD Research Start-up Foundation of the Science and Technology Department of Liaoning Province, China [grant number 76114007] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 71171041 and 71471033].