A survey of community members' perceptions of medical errors in Oman
2008

Community Perceptions of Medical Errors in Oman

Sample size: 212 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Al-Mandhari Ahmed S, Al-Shafaee Mohammed A, Al-Azri Mohammed H, Al-Zakwani Ibrahim S, Khan Mushtaq, Al-Waily Ahmed M, Rizvi Syed

Primary Institution: Sultan Qaboos University

Hypothesis

What are the community members' perceptions about medical errors in Oman?

Conclusion

The majority of participants believed they knew the meaning of medical errors, with younger individuals being more aware than older ones.

Supporting Evidence

  • 78% of participants believed they knew what medical errors meant.
  • Understanding of medical errors was inversely correlated with age.
  • 49% of those who believed they knew the meaning of medical errors had experienced such errors.

Takeaway

Most people in Oman think they understand medical errors, and younger people are better at explaining them than older people.

Methodology

Face-to-face interviews were conducted with heads of 212 households in two villages in Oman.

Potential Biases

Convenience sampling may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Limitations

The study relied on self-reported data without independent verification of medical errors.

Participant Demographics

53% male, mean age 34 years, 83% literacy, 70% married.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.045

Confidence Interval

1% to 7%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-6939-9-13

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