Hidden threats inducing medical errors in Tehran public hospitals

Introduction: Medical errors represent a serious public health problem and pose a threat to patient safety. This study aimed to determine the hidden threats in the incidence of medical errors at public hospitals in Tehran. Methods: In this descriptive study, the population included all process owners (12-person teams) in public hospitals of Tehran. The sample size was 396 individuals, selected by stratified sampling technique. A pre-designed questionnaire was completed for each individual. Factor analysis was used to analysis the data. Results: In this study, 23 hidden threats in the incidence of medical errors in Tehran public hospitals got 55.52% of total data variance. Medication information and policies and procedures were respectively responsible for 7.29% and 5.2% of total variance. More over, 0.96% and 0.87% of the variance were, respectively, related to professional culture and quality improvement program of hospital. Conclusion: There are several hidden threats that affect the incidence of medical errors but are not easily identifiable in Tehran public hospitals. Hospital administrators need to identify hospitals with hidden threats and plan for their management, particularly in the field of drug information.