• Ramsey Msheliza Yalma
• Michael C.Asuzu

Abstract Knowledge and attitudes to medical errors disclosure are very important for patients’ safety and quality of health care. This study compares the perceptions of physicians on medical errors occurrences and their knowledge, and attitudes to disclosure practices in government secondary and tertiary health facilities in Abuja, Nigeria. A comparative cross sectional analytical survey was conducted. A cluster sampling technique was used to study a total of 485 physicians, 255 (52.5%) from the tertiary level and 230 (47.4%) from the secondary level. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data which was analysed using SPSS software. Chi-square test was used to assess associations between variables at a significance level of 5%. The perception of the physicians suggests that occurrences of medical errors at tertiary level versus secondary level were near misses (85.4% vs. 85.7%), mistakes (73.3% vs. 77.5%), slips or lapses (51.9% vs. 65.5%), technical errors (70.6% vs. 68.0%) and wrong drug route errors (43.9% vs. 55.2%); (p > 0.05 for all groups). The estimated overall error rates were (62.2% vs. 66.2%; p = > 0.05. The knowledge on medical errors were (57.65% vs. 53.9%, p = 0.408) while positive attitude to disclosure were (46.6% vs. 61.3%, p = 0.001). This study suggests a heavy burden of medical errors with the tertiary health facilities having better knowledge of errors than the secondary facilities; however, the secondary facilities showed a more positive attitude to errors disclosure. There is an urgent need to reduce the burden of medical errors, improve physicians’ knowledge of medical errors as well as their attitudes to disclosure.

Key words: Medical errors, Physicians, Knowledge, Attitude, Perceptions, Disclosure

"Knowledge and attitude to disclosure of medical errors: a comparative analytical cross-sectional study of physicians from secondary and tertiary health facilities in Abuja Nigeria", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no.66-79, April-2021, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104210.pdf

"Knowledge and attitude to disclosure of medical errors: a comparative analytical cross-sectional study of physicians from secondary and tertiary health facilities in Abuja Nigeria", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.8, Issue 4, page no. pp66-79, April-2021, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2104210.pdf