Medical mistakes: To err is human

Human error experts estimate that everyone makes three or four mistakes a day. Yet, it is not acceptable for patients to be harmed by the healthcare system that is supposed to offer healing and comfort. However, patient safety has been difficult to achieve due to long standing beliefs that when errors occur individuals must be blamed or punished.

Medical errors can be defined as the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.