An anatomy of errors

doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7369.880

BMJ 2002;325:880 ( 19 October )

Filler

An anatomy of errors

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

He came in calmly (and went out in ahuff).

I had my nose in his medical notes (first error). I did not look up as he opened the door, a missed opportunity to noticethe expression on his face, the way he walked, etc (second error),or to give a welcoming smile. He told me that he had a chronicpain in his back. I told him to hurry up and take his clothesoff down to his waist and get on the couch so that I could examinehim (three errors in under 60seconds).

"If that's the way you feel, doctor, I'm going." And he did, disappearing through the door. I wasaghast.

"One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time" (G K Chesterton in All Things Considered). Later,during the same surgery, one of my patients asked me: . . . [Full text of this article]