ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2018 April;177(4):149-57

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.17.03513-6

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

What do pregnant patients think of medical errors? A study on 166 sicilian pregnant women

Franco PEPE ¹, Mariagrazia STRACQUADANIO ² ✉, Grazia CARRARA ², Caterina CONDORELLI ³, Claudia RANDAZZO ², Gianluca LEANZA ², Alfio D’AGATI ², Gabriele G. PEPE ³

¹ Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santo Bambino Hospital, Catania, Italy; ² Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Catania, Santo Bambino Hospital, Catania, Italy; ³ Alma Mater Studiorum University, Bologna, Italy

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to assess, through a structured questionnaire, the experience of a group of Sicilian pregnant about the adverse event (AE) and, in particular their points of view in case of medical errors.
METHODS: The research sample consisted of 166 pregnant women, living in the province of Catania, with a mean age of 36 years, nulliparous in 20.5% of cases, characterized by low education level and low salary incoming in the 51.8% of the patients examined. All patients were enrolled at the “high risk pregnancy outpatient clinic” of UOC of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Santo Bambino Hospital in Catania (Italy) between January and October 2015.
RESULTS: The survey results revealed the presence of a deep crisis in the doctor-patient relationship and the need for its significant and extensive changes: safety, competence and truth should be the main principles of this important relationship.
CONCLUSIONS: The truth’s claim is essential for the patient, even and especially in the case of medical error.

KEY WORDS: Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions - Medical error - Maternal death - Pregnancy