Misadventures in Health Care : Inside Stories (Human Error and Safety) [Paperback]

Marilyn Sue Bogner (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0805833781 | ISBN-13: 978-0805833782 | Edition: 1

Misadventures in Health Care: Inside Stories presents an alternative approach to attributing the cause of medical error solely to the health care provider. That alternative, the systems approach, pursues why an incident occurs in terms of factors in the context of care that affect the care provider to induce an error. The basis for this approach is the fact that an error is an act, an act is behavior, and behavior is a function of the person interacting with the environment. Eleven vignettes illustrate the importance of the systems approach by describing health care incidents from the perspective of the care providers--the perspective that can identify the factors that actually affect the provider. These stories provide general readers with opportunities to apply their knowledge in analyzing incidents to identify error-inducing factors.

This book is important reading for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in law and in all medical specialties, and professionals in the social sciences, human factors, and engineering. In addition to sensitizing the reader to the importance of contextual factors in error, Misadventures in Health Care is a case study reference to supplement texts in professional schools such as law and medicine, as well as the full range of academic disciplines. It also is important reading for the general public because it presents an approach for addressing a very pressing social problem-- that of misadventures in health care.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This wonderful collection reminds us that improving patient safety is a matter of life and death.
—Donna E. Shalala
President, University of Miami, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services

Medical error kills. Common sense says to punish those responsible. Common sense is wrong, as this book so powerfully demonstrates. Each chapter starts with a gripping case history. Each demonstrates that it is the system that is at fault, that the people now being blamed and punished are often victims, not culprits, and that no progress will be made until attitudes--and the entire system--are changed. This important book should be required reading of everyone concerned with medical safety, which means everyone: anyone involved in treatment, anyone who might someday get sick.
—Don Norman
Northwestern University, Nielson Norman Group, Author of The Design of Everyd

This book should be widely read not only by researchers and practitioners in all the medical specialties, but also by professionals in the social sciences, human factors, and engineering. Indeed, it should be read by lay persons as well because it contains messages for everyone interested in the integrity of medical care and practice. And who, these days, is not?
—Alphonse Chapanis
Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University

About the Author

Marilyn Sue Bogner, Ph.D. is President and Chief Scientist of the Institute for the Study of Human Error, LLC. Dr. Bogner is editor of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates’ (LEA) book series on Human Error and Safety and the sub-series on Patient Safety. She edited and contributed to the book Human Error in Medicine published by LEA in 1994. She also has contributed chapters to 11 books, is on the editorial board of the journal Human Factors and a reviewer for 7 professional journals. Dr. Bogner has published on error and performance issues in numerous professional publications and has spoken extensively at professional meetings in the U.S. and abroad. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the Washington Academy of Sciences. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Psychology Press; 1 edition (August 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805833781
• ISBN-13: 978-0805833782
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, May 25, 2011

By 

bugsbunny - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Misadventures in Health Care : Inside Stories (Human Error and Safety) (Paperback)

I bought it because it is one of my text book. I was surprised to found out it actually interesting to read and I did enjoy it. It give many true stories about mistake and human errors happened in health care. It then breaks down and explains the cause and possible solutions. It also uses language that easy to read, even with people who have zero medical background. Good book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, good perspectives and discussion, October 5, 2006

By 

Lucy Cat "Mandy" (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Misadventures in Health Care : Inside Stories (Human Error and Safety) (Paperback)

This book shares about 6 different (real) clinical cases in which serious errors have left both patients and health-care providers victimized. For example, one case talks about a general surgical procedure that ends in a patient with a severe ureter, a 2nd-degree burn, a wound infection (due to lack of antibiotic administration), and $75,000 in recovery bills. It breaks down the fundamental aspects of human error in each case and supports each with discussion and research evidence. This would be a great read for pre-meds like myself who are interested in becoming more aware of the health care industry, for medical students and medical ethics courses/reading, and for health care practitioners. It isn't very lengthy but this author does write a book that was published in 1994 I believe with a similar theme which is longer.