| خلاصه مقاله | Introduction: Patient misidentification, recognized as the first national patient safety goal, poses a serious threat to patient safety and is a cause of medical errors. This study aimed to investigate the causes and complications of medical errors resulting from patient misidentification at Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz.
Methods: This descriptive study was conducted retrospectively on data recorded in the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement unit of this hospital from 2021 to 2023. The statistical population included all recorded medical errors (4436 cases). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22, employing descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test.
Results: Out of a total of 4436 recorded medical errors, 106 cases (2.38%) were due to patient misidentification. The main causes of these errors were a combination of 'high patient load/congestion and manual data registration' (64.2%) and a combination of 'healthcare staff fatigue and manual registration' (18.9%). Regarding complications, incorrect performance of care-related (30.2%), diagnostic (25.5%), and treatment (23.6%) actions were the most frequent. Analysis of the annual trend showed a significant decrease in cases without complications from 41.9% in 2021 to 0% in 2023 (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Patient misidentification accounts for a significant proportion of medical errors and causes serious clinical complications. Systemic factors such as manual data registration methods, high workload, and staff fatigue play a primary role in the occurrence of these errors. Therefore, implementing electronic and intelligent identification systems, revising staff shift scheduling, and providing continuous training for healthcare staff are essential to reduce these errors and enhance patient safety. |