Avoiding Errors in General Practice

Some of the most important and best lessons in a doctor’s career are learnt from mistakes. However, an awareness of the common causes of medical errors and developing positive behaviours can reduce the risk of mistakes and litigation. Written for Foundation Year doctors, trainees and general practitioners, and unlike any other clinical management title available, Avoiding Errors in General Practice identifies and explains the most common errors likely to occur in an outpatient setting - so that you won’t make them.   The first section in this brand new guide discusses the causes of errors in general practice. The second and largest section consists of case scenarios and includes expert and legal comment as well as clinical teaching points and strategies to help you engage in safer practice throughout your career. The final section discusses how to deal with complaints and the subsequent potential medico-legal consequences, helping to reduce your anxiety when dealing with the consequences of an error. Invaluable during the Foundation Years, Specialty Training and for Consultants, Avoiding Errors in General Practice is the perfect guide to help tackle the professional and emotional challenges of life as a GP.

Table of Contents:
Contributors, viii Preface ix Abbreviations x Introduction xii Part 1 Section 1: The legal structure of negligence 1 A few words about error 1 Medical negligence 1 Learning from system failures – the vincristine example 6 Reference 10 Section 2: Causes of diagnostic errors in general practice and how they can be avoided 11 How do general practitioners reach diagnoses? 11 Where do errors occur in diagnosis? 15 How can we minimize the risks of these errors? 17 References and further reading 18 Section 3: Bayesian reasoning and avoiding diagnostic errors 20 References and further reading 25 Section 4: A potpourri of advice on avoiding errors 26 History and examination 26 The telephone consultation 27 Communication problems 28 When lack of knowledge plays a part 28 The unexpectedly abnormal result 28 The standard of notes 29 Drug errors or prescribing errors 30 Consent 30 Confidentiality 32 Conditions that are 'frequent flyers' in negligence cases 33 Safety netting 34 References and further reading 36 Part 2 Clinical cases Introduction 37 Case 1 A man with iron deficiency 38 Case 2 When is a headache abrupt? 41 Case 3 A woman with chest pain 44 Case 4 A dizzy man 48 Case 5 Rectal bleeding in a pregnant woman 51 Case 6 A pulled calf muscle 54 Case 7 A woman with hemiplegic migraine 57 Case 8 Irritable bowel syndrome after sickness in Goa 60 Case 9 A young man with back pain 64 Case 10 Irregular intermenstrual bleeding in a woman on the pill 67 Case 11 A boy with a limp 70 Case 12 A runner with a cough 72 Case 13 A woman with classical migraine 74 Case 14 A young woman with diarrhoea and vomiting 77 Case 15 Ill-fitting dentures in an elderly man 79 Case 16 Back pain in a middle-aged woman 82 Case 17 Cellulitis in a man’s foot 85 Case 18 A flare-up of ulcerative colitis 88 Case 19 A woman with a skin lump on her leg 91 Case 20 A woman with microscopic haematuria 93 Case 21 A limping young girl 96 Case 22 A builder tripping over his feet 98 Case 23 An anxious young woman with hyperventilation 101 Case 24 A slightly raised AST in an Asian woman 103 Case 25 Cough and fever in a 42-year-old accountant 105 Case 26 Lost prescription: Benzodiazepine addiction 108 Case 27 A febrile baby 110 Case 28 A limping elderly woman after a fall 113 Case 29 Indigestion in a stressed executive 116 Case 30 A hoped-for pregnancy 119 Case 31 A breast lump that disappears 122 Case 32 Fever and cough after an ankle fusion 125 Case 33 Urinary problem in a welder 128 Case 34 A hypertensive 38-year-old woman 130 Case 35 A swollen lip in a 56-year-old man 133 Case 36 A woman with fatigue and weight gain 135 Case 37 A woman told off for ignoring her friends 137 Case 38 A man with a headache: Swine flu or meningitis? 140 Case 39 A woman suffering dizziness 142 Case 40 A middle-aged man with an ankle injury 144 Part 3 Investigating and dealing with errors 1 Introduction 147 2 How errors and their recurrence are prevented in primary care 147 3 The role of the primary care trusts 150 4 Other investigations 152 5 Legal advice – where to get it and how to pay 155 6 External inquiries 157 7 The role of the doctor 172 8 Emotional repercussions 175 9 Conclusion 175 Reference 176 Index 177