Medical errors: Moral and ethical considerations

Abstract

Medical errors are an inevitable part of the practice of medicine and pose a significant threat to the safety of patients. Improper management of healthcare professionals, clinical workflow processes, and information systems often leads to medical errors. Disclosure of medical errors to patients and family members serves as a catalyst for litigation and thus, the establishment of appropriate moral and ethical standards cannot be ignored when implementing solutions to remedy the situation. In this paper, a systematic literature review was used to explore and evaluate the moral and ethical issues that confront the healthcare industry as a result of medical errors. The practical implications of medical errors were also discussed.