Abstract:
Background Medication errors (MEs) are largely underreported,
which undermines quality improvement and
medication risk management in healthcare.
Objectives To assess attitudes of Ugandan healthcare
professionals (HCPs) towards ME reporting, and identify
characteristics of HCPs who endorsed integration of ME
and adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting, valued patient
involvement in ME reporting, disclosed having ever made
potentially harmful MEs, or observed possibly harmful
MEs committed by other HCPs.
Methods Healthcare professionals self-completed a
questionnaire on their attitudes towards the occurrence and
reporting of MEs in purposively selected Ugandan health facilities (public/private) including the national referral and
six regional referral hospitals representative of all regions.
Results Response rate was 67 % (1345/2000). Most HCPs
(91 %; 1174/1289) approved a national ME reporting system
for Uganda and 58 %(734/1261) endorsed integration of ME
and ADR reporting. Two-thirds (65 %; 819/1267) of HCPs
valued patient involvement in ME reporting, one-fifth (18 %;
235/1310) disclosed that they had ever made potentially
harmful MEs, while two-fifths (41 %; 542/1323) had ever
identified possibly harmful MEs committed by other HCPs.
Endorsing patient involvement in ME reporting was more
likely by HCPs who valued root-cause analysis and reporting
of both actual and potential MEs, or who conceded inadequate
communication and lack of time. Self-disclosure of
having ever committed potentially harmful MEs was more
likely with the need for confidentiality, working in stressful
conditions, and willingness to report ADRs. Identifying
possibly harmful MEs committed by other HCPs was more
likely by non-nurses and those who reported blame culture,
stressful conditions, ever encountered a fatal ADR, or
attachment to hospital-level health facility.
Conclusion A non-punitive healthcare environment and
patient involvement may promote ME disclosure and
reporting in Uganda and possibly other African countries
