Avoiding Problems - Managing the Risks in General Practice in Ireland
Correct as of April 2011
At the turn of the last century, the Italian economist Pareto observed that 90% of the wealth of his country was owned by 10% of the population.
“Pareto analysis” applied to industrial environments has shown that 80% of errors arise from only about 20% of causes.
This concept can also be applied to medical mishaps – most incidents leading to medicolegal problems fall into one of the following categories:
- Failure to appreciate legal and professional responsibilities
- Problems in clinical management
- Medication errors
- Administrative errors
- Failure of communication, including inadequate medical records.