Table 2 Results for individual items in means ± standard deviation (SD) as well as percentage of positive responses
|  | Mean (±SD) | % of positive response |
|---|---|---|
1. Patient Safety Training Received | Â | Â |
My training has prepared me to understand the causes of medical errors | 3.3 (±1.1) | 42.6 |
2. Error Reporting Confidence | 3.3 (±0.7) |  |
I would feel comfortable reporting any errors I had made no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient | 3.5 (±1.0) | 55.3 |
I would feel comfortable reporting any errors other people had made, no matter how serious the outcome had been for the patient | 3.1 (±0.9) | 38.0 |
I feel confident I could report an error I had made without feeling I would be blamed | 3.5 (±1.1) | 59.3 |
I am confident I could talk openly to my supervisor about an error I had made if it had resulted in potential or actual harm to my patient | 3.5 (±1.1) | 59.3 |
Medical errors are handled appropriately my workplace | 3.0 (±1.0) | 35.3 |
3. Working hours as a cause of error | 4.2 (±0.7) |  |
The number of hours doctors work increases the likelihood of making medical errors | 4.1 (±0.9) | 86.0 |
Shorter shifts will reduce medical errors | 4.1 (±0.9) | 81.3 |
By not taking regular breaks during shifts doctors are at an increased risk of making errors | 4.3 (±0.9) | 85.3 |
4. Error inevitability | 3.7 (±0.6) |  |
I don’t think I make errors (R) | 2.8 (±1.1) | 31.3 |
Even the most experienced and competent doctors make errors | 4.2 (±0.9) | 87.3 |
Even the most experienced and competent make errors | 4.1 (±0.8) | 88.0 |
5. Professional incompetence as a cause of error | 3.3 (±0.5) |  |
Medical errors are a sign of incompetence (R) | 3.7 (±0.9) | 66.7 |
Most medical errors result from careless (R) | 3.4 (±0.9) | 50.7 |
If people paid more attention at work, medical errors would be avoided (R) | 2.1 (±0.8) | 4.7 |
Most medical errors result from careless doctors (R) | 3.3 (±1.2) | 46.6 |
6. Disclosure responsibility | 3.5 (±0.6) |  |
Doctors have a responsibility to disclose errors to patients only if they result in patient harm (R) | 2.8 (±1.1) | 28.7 |
All medical errors should be reported | 3.9 (±0.9) | 70.7 |
It is not necessary to report errors which do not result in adverse outcomes for the patient (R) | 3.4 (±1.1) | 47.3 |
It is the responsibility of all health care professionals to formally report all medical errors which occur | 3.7 (±0.9) | 64.0 |
7. Team functioning | 3.9 (±0.6) |  |
Better multi-disciplinary teamwork will reduce medical errors | 4.3 (±0.8) | 88.7 |
Personal input about patient care is well received at my workplace | 3.4 (±1.0) | 50.7 |
Teaching teamwork skills will reduce medical errors | 4.1 (±0.8) | 85.3 |
8. Patient involvement in reducing errors | 3.5 (±0.7) |  |
Patients have an important role in preventing medical errors | 3.4 (±1.0) | 53.3 |
Encouraging patients to be more involved in their care can help to reduce the risk of medical errors occurring | 4.0 (±0.8) | 66.7 |
9. Importance of patient safety in the curriculum | 3.2 (±0.6) |  |
Patient safety issues cannot be taught and can only be learned by clinical experience when qualified | 3.6 (±1.1) | 57.3 |
Learning about patient safety issues before I qualify will enable me to become a more effective doctor | 3.8 (±0.1) | 74.7 |
Learning about patient safety issues is not as important as learning other more skill-based aspects of being a doctor (R) | 2.3 (±1.1) | 16.7 |