Medical Error Prevention for Mental Health Professionals: Ethical and Clinical Considerations

Developed by Lenore E. A. Walker, Ed.D., David Shapiro, Ph.D.

Course content available in articles.

This introductory course is approved by the Florida Board of Psychology and Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling for the Medical Error Prevention requirement.

This introductory course is designed specifically for the mental health professional to help reduce the possibility of medical errors in one’s practice. Included is pertinent information on types of medical errors, populations at greatest risk, and the process of root cause analysis. The authors share their expertise in preventing diagnostic and treatment errors, assessing risk, record-keeping and reducing adverse reactions to medications. Risk assessment for suicide and violence to others, mandatory reporting of abuse, confidentiality, informed consent, and the need for multi-cultural sensitivity are addressed. Valuable resources are provided to augment the information presented. This brief overview provides a practical guide for the mental health practitioner in a variety of settings. Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.

Educational Objectives

Describe what constitutes a medical error for behavioral health providers and to describe the elements involved in conducting a root cause analysis when an error occurs.
Explain specific steps to prevent systemic, diagnostic and treatment errors and implement record-keeping guidelines that help prevent errors.

Syllabus

What is a Medical Error in a Behavioral Health Setting?
Adverse Events, Sentinel Events and Root Cause Analysis
Principles of Error Reduction
Reducing Errors in Diagnosis for Mental Health Professionals
High Risk Clients
Risk Assessment
Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse, Elderly and Disabled
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
Record-Keeping
Reduction of Adverse Medication Events
Human Behavioral Factors

MEP201

March 15, 2022

Educational Objectives

Describe what constitutes a medical error for behavioral health providers and to describe the elements involved in conducting a root cause analysis when an error occurs.
Explain specific steps to prevent systemic, diagnostic and treatment errors and implement record-keeping guidelines that help prevent errors.

Syllabus

What is a Medical Error in a Behavioral Health Setting?
Adverse Events, Sentinel Events and Root Cause Analysis
Principles of Error Reduction
Reducing Errors in Diagnosis for Mental Health Professionals
High Risk Clients
Risk Assessment
Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse, Elderly and Disabled
Confidentiality and Informed Consent
Record-Keeping
Reduction of Adverse Medication Events
Human Behavioral Factors