BACKGROUND
The use of medical devices is rapidly expanding. Despite this, there is a huge gap in the literature surrounding the use of devices in healthcare and the adverse events occurring. Given that these errors can be life-threatening, it is imperative to have a thorough understanding of the problem in order to improve patient safety.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a Rapid Review to identify the frequency, types and causes of medical device-related errors which are reported in published peer-reviewed literature.
METHODS
Following PRISMA guidelines, a literature search strategy was developed. Databases searched until 23 February 2018 included Pubmed, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts and Cinahl. Articles were included if they: defined medical devices, reported the frequency, causes and types of errors, were published in peer-reviewed literature. Articles were screened and discussed by two authors.
RESULTS
Database searching yielded 7,559 unduplicated articles. After two rounds of screening, 24 articles were included in the Review. Device types included cochlear implants, defibrillator leads, anaesthetic & intensive care devices, surgical equipment, automated external defibrillators, radiation oncology devices, ambulance stretchers, breast pumps, cardiovascular devices, orthopaedic devices, and patient controlled analgesia devices. The frequency of errors was 3.83-33.0%. The most common causes were user error, malfunction and design error.
CONCLUSIONS
This Review identified a range of device types associated with errors. The frequency of errors was lower than published literature. User error was confirmed as a leading cause, alongside malfunction and design error. Future research should examine near-miss events and expand the device types studied.
A review of the bio-tribology of medical devices
