How Doctors Talk About Medical Errors: A Qualitative Study of Junior Doctors’ Experiences

Abstract

During the last three decades, an increased amount of research on errors in health care has been conducted. Studies show that physicians find it challenging to handle errors because of the blame and guilt that errors cause. Communicating with colleagues has been identified as vital for coping with errors and for creating a just culture; however, many physicians do not usually discuss their errors. Knowledge about how junior doctors experience errors is vital to ensure that they both receive emotional support and learn from errors. To capture junior doctors’ perceptions and experiences, we used a qualitative, exploratory design based on virtual focus groups. We conducted seven virtual focus groups with 22 junior doctors from 11 specialties. We defined three main themes: (1) how the junior doctors conceptualized medical errors, (2) how they experienced talk about errors among colleagues, and (3) the context in which this talk took place. The participants experienced errors as challenging elements in their working life; however, they struggled to define it. They described inconsistencies regarding the reasons for discussing errors within the learning environment, with some being experienced as constructive (providing education and support) and some as destructive (involving blame and shame). There was a discrepancy between the wish to normalize error and the lack of sharing between colleagues. Our study shows that error in health care is a complex phenomenon that challenges junior doctors’ navigation in clinical practice. Despite efforts to implement an open and just culture, this has not yet been achieved.