Relating Medical Errors to Medical Specialties: A Mixed Analysis Based on Litigation Documents and Qualitative Data

Figures & data

Table 1 Medical Error Classification Table (First-Class and Second-Class Errors)

Class 1 Errors	Class 2 Errors	Class 1 Errors	Class 2 Errors
Medical administration	Certification deficiencies	Medical technology	Diagnosis
	Resource deficiencies		Examination
	Institutional deficiencies		Therapy
Medical process	Misidentification		Drugs
	Post inaction		Transfusions
	Delivery		Surgical operations
Medical product	Apparatus		Anesthesia
	Dosage		Nosocomial infections
Medical environment	Hospital facilities		Nursing
	Food safety	Medical humanity	Doctor–patient communication
	Safety guarantees		Infringement of informed consent
Medical documents	Medical record writing		Infringement of privacy
	Medical record storage		Overtreatment

Figure 1 Medical department categories.

Figure 2 Specific process of data collection.

Table 2 The Number and Percentage of Medical Errors in Different Departments

Clinical Departments			Medical Technology Departments
1714 (97.8%)			39 (2.2%)
Internal Medicine Departments	Surgical Departments	Specialist Departments
247 (14.1%)	798 (45.5%)	669 (38.2%)

Table 3 The Number of Medical Errors in Specific Departments

Rank	Department	Num	Rank	Department	Num
1	Orthopedics	356	20	ICU	15
2	Obstetrics-Gynecology	330	21	Hematopathology	11
3	General Surgery	213	21	Anesthesiology	11
4	Emergency Department	87	23	Dermatology	10
5	Pediatrics	83	24	Outpatient	7
6	Neurosurgery	81	24	Plastic Surgery	7
7	Cardiothoracic Surgery	65	26	Rheumatology & Immunology	6
8	Cardiology	62	26	Burns	6
9	Urinary Surgery	59	26	Vascular Surgery	6
10	Neurology	48	29	Invasive Technology	5
10	Respiratory Medicine	48	29	Endocrinology	5
12	Gastroenterology	45	29	T.C.M.	5
13	Ophthalmology	41	32	Infectious	4
14	Oncology	24	33	Rehabilitation	3
15	Stomatology	23	34	Ultrasound	2
15	E.N.T.	23	35	Pain Treatment	1
17	Nephrology	22	35	Pathology	1
17	Blood Transfusion	22	35	Imaging	1
19	Psychiatry	21	35	Radiology	1

Abbreviations: E.N.T, Ear Nose Throat; ICU, intensive care unit; T.C.M, Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Figure 3 The common types of medical errors in clinical departments.

Figure 4 Network relationship diagram between departments and medical errors.