What does the term "medical error" include?

The term "medical error" encompasses a broad range of preventable adverse effects of care resulting in harm, which includes not just mistakes made during surgical procedures, but also errors in diagnosis, medication administration, and treatment plans. This definition aligns with the understanding that medical errors can occur at any point in the healthcare delivery process, affecting patient outcomes negatively.

When considering this, it is essential to recognize that medical errors can arise from various aspects of health care, including miscommunication, suboptimal treatment decisions, and system-level issues. Therefore, defining medical errors solely as mistakes in surgical procedures would limit the scope of what constitutes a medical error and overlook the multitude of other possibilities that can lead to patient harm.

Additionally, patient non-compliance with treatment plans, while a significant issue in patient care, does not fall under the definition of a medical error because it is related to the patient's adherence to recommended care rather than an error made by a healthcare provider. Administrative errors in patient records, while problematic, are also distinct from the concept of direct medical errors since they pertain to the management of information rather than clinical care actions that result in patient harm. Thus, the comprehensive definition provided in your answer captures the full essence of what constitutes a medical error in the context of